++,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++
++ ++WWWWWWWW::::::::++ ++++++++++++++++++++++ ++
++ WW::##,,,,,,,,::##:: ++++++::,,,,,,@@@@::++ ++
++ WW::##,,,,,,,,::##:: ++++++::,,,,,,@@@@::++ ++
++WW,,##,,,,,,,,,,##::++ ++++::##,,,,,,,,,,##,,++++
++WW,,##,,,,,,,,,,##,,++ ++ ++,,##,,,,,,,,,,##,,++++
++WW,,##,,,,,,,,,,##,,++ ++ ++,,##,,,,,,,,,,##,,++++
WW,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,WW ++,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,++
WWWWWWWW::WWWWWW ++++++++::++++++++++
WWWWWWWW::WWWWWW ++++++++::++++++++++
,,WW:: ++++++::++,,++++++++
,,WWWWWW ++++++++++++,,++ ++
,,WWWWWW ++++++++++++,,++ ++
,,WWWWWW ,,,,::,,
,,,,++++,, ,,####,,,,
,,,,++++,, ,,####,,,,
++++++ ######
++++++ ######
++++++ ######
WWWWWWWWWW @@@@@@@@@@
_____ _____ _
/ __ \ / ___| |
| / \| __ ___ _____ \ `--.| |_ ___ _ __ _ _
| | / _` \ \ / / _ \ `--. \ __/ _ \| '__| | | |
| \__/| (_| |\ V / __/ |\__/ / || (_) | | | |_| |
_\____/\__,_|_\_/_\___|__\____/_\__\___/|_|___\__, |
|_________________________________________________/ |
\___/
Walkthrough
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
.==================================================================.
/ Version History \
|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
| |
| 2.30 - 12/13/09 - Almost a year after the last update, and it's |
| not even a large one either, sorry about that. |
| I clarified the issue with people not finding |
| the Tow Rope in the Questions section, fixed a |
| few more grammatical mistakes, and added in |
| some tips, tricks and strategies that others |
| have submitted. Also, a big thank you to |
| everyone who emailed me this past year. If you |
| contributed anything at all, regardless of |
| whether or not I responded to your email, your |
| name will probably appear in the Credits |
| section. Here's hoping that the WiiWare |
| version will come out soon. |
| |
| 2.20 - 12/17/08 - A lot of people had emailed me about not being |
| able to fight Ma Pignon, so I attempted to |
| clear that up in both the walkthrough and the |
| Q&A section. Also, major kudos to Jp for |
| finding scores of spelling and grammatical |
| errors. Other than that, some sections have |
| been tidied up a bit to demolish some walls of |
| text (especially for Last Cave and Sacred |
| Ground). |
| |
| 2.10 - 10/12/08 - Lessened the amount of spoilers in the guide |
| so it won't potentially ruin anybody's |
| experiences, also reworded some confusing |
| sentences. Also submitted this guide to the |
| official Cave Story website, and got a bunch |
| of helpful people to review it. You can be |
| expecting another update as soon as the |
| WiiWare version comes out. |
| |
| 2.00 - 05/07/08 - Whew. Did an overhaul of the ASCII border art, |
| moved the Cave Basics section behind the |
| walkthrough, added data charts to the Weapons |
| section, listed items found in each section of |
| the walkthrough, and broke up a lot of long, |
| windy paragraphs. |
| |
| 1.50 - 02/21/08 - Added a bestiary section, fixed a few spelling |
| mistakes, corrected some errors, and tidied up |
| some sections so there are less tl;dr |
| paragraphs. |
| |
| 1.00 - 01/06/08 - Finished everything and submitted to GFaqs. |
| |
| 0.10 - 12/04/07 - After a month of me being lazy, finally |
| decided to continue with this FAQ, and expand |
| it into a full walkthrough. |
| |
| 0.00 - 10/21/07 - Found out that GFaqs now has a page for Cave |
| Story (finally!) and decided to write a boss |
| FAQ. |
' '
\__________________________________________________________________/
|======================================================================|
| Table of Contents |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------|
| |
| |
| Introduction.........................................[sect000] |
| |
| Getting Started......................................[sect001] |
| |
| Controls.............................................[sect002] |
| |
| Walkthrough..........................................[sect100] |
| -First Cave.....................................[sect101] |
| -Mimiga Village.................................[sect102] |
| -Egg Corridor...................................[sect103] |
| -Grasstown......................................[sect104] |
| -Sand Zone......................................[sect105] |
| -Labyrinth......................................[sect106] |
| -Waterway.......................................[sect107] |
| -Egg Corridor?..................................[sect108] |
| -Outer Wall.....................................[sect109] |
| -Plantation.....................................[sect110] |
| -Last Cave......................................[sect111] |
| -Endgame........................................[sect112] |
| -Sacred Ground..................................[sect113] |
| |
| Cave Basics..........................................[sect200] |
| -Weapons........................................[sect201] |
| -Items..........................................[sect202] |
| -Power-up Locations.............................[sect203] |
| -Bestiary.......................................[sect204] |
| |
| Misc. Stuff..........................................[sect300] |
| -Frequently Asked Questions.....................[sect301] |
| -Credits........................................[sect302] |
| -Copyright Info.................................[sect303] |
| -Contact Info...................................[sect304] |
| |
| |
|______________________________________________________________________|
===============================================================================
| INTRODUCTION [sect000] |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cave Story, a freeware platformer made by Studio Pixel, is simply one of the
best freeware games of all time. With an almost flawless gameplay, exciting
plot, and a great combination of retro graphics and music, Cave Story is a
sidescroller that can rival any 2-D Metroid or Castlevania game.
Due to my immense love for this game, I decided to write a full walkthrough.
Before I go on, note that I do not consider myself an expert Cave Story player,
so some of the strategies here may not be the best or most efficient ones.
Regardless, I will do my best to provide a complete and detailed guide on how
to beat the game. I realize that this guide is a bit on the lengthy side, since
I tend to ramble when I'm explaining things. I've also tried my best not to
bore you with long paragraphs, but I probably failed there already. Um.
Anyways...
This guide is designed with the novice player in mind, containing a detailed
walkthrough of the game from start to finish. Additionally, there are separate
sections devoted to weapon stats, inventory list, bestiary, and other auxiliary
information that you may find helpful when playing Cave Story.
If there is anything you would like me to add or change in this walkthrough,
feel free to contact me (see the Contact Info section for more details).
===============================================================================
| GETTING STARTED [sect001] |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So you've just learned about Cave Story, and you're interested in checking it
out. But where to start? Fret not, I've got everything you need to begin your
own cave adventure.
Cave Story is a freeware game, meaning that the entire game and all of its
components are free to download. To get the game, first copy and paste the
following url into your web browser:
http://cavestory.org/downloads_1.php
Now, if you just want the game and nothing else, you must first download and
install the Japanese version of Cave Story, then download and run the
translation patch by Aeon Genesis.
However, what I really recommend is to download the Cave Story Deluxe Package.
This package not only contains the original game with the translation patch
already installed, but also comes with a fan-made level editor, the Cave Story
OST, and many other doodads. It even contains the game Ika-chan, another game
developed by Studio Pixel and the predecessor to Cave Story.
Once you have Cave Story fully installed, just click on Play Cave Story (or
Doukutsu if you're accessing it directly from the program files) and you're
good to go.
Also, since the game is less than 5 MB, it can easily be transferred onto a
flash drive for portable convenience.
===============================================================================
| CONTROLS [sect002] |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Up Arrow - look up
Down Arrow - action (talk, enter door, open treasure chest, etc.)
Left Arrow - move left
Right Arrow - move right
Z - jump, scroll through text, confirm
X - shoot, scroll through text, cancel
A - switch weapons (left)
S - switch weapons (right)
Q - items menu
W - map system
Esc - pause, quit (while paused)
F1 - resume (while paused)
F2 - reset (while paused)
To change control settings, go to the file where the Cave Story program is
stored. There should be a program labeled "DoConfig". Open this program and
you'll reach the settings menu, where you can customize your controls and
screen size. If you're using an external controller, you can customize it here
as well.
===============================================================================
| WALKTHROUGH [sect100] |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well, here we go, the walkthrough itself. There are 13 sections in all, mostly
categorized by area. Note that some of my strategies may not be the most
efficient strategies, so if you think you have a better way to defeat or get
past some part of the game, feel free to email me, and if it works, I won't
hesitate to add your strategy to this FAQ (as well as your name to the Credits
section).
At the head of each section, there is a chart with all the weapons, items, and
upgrades found in that particular section. Anything with a * next to it means
that it's optional.
But enough about that, let's move on to the exciting part.
==========================
| First Cave [sect101] |XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
--------------------------
_________ _______
( Weapons )========( Items )=============.
| | |
| Polar Star | |
'__________ | |
( Upgrades )=======| -none- |
| | |
| Life Capsule x1 | |
| | |
'----------------------------------------'
_____________
[ Start Point ]
You find yourself in a small cavern with no idea who you are or what you're
doing here. There are two items to note here: the floppy disk is a save point,
so be sure to keep an eye out for these. The monitor with a heart icon is a
refill station: it refills all of your health, and once you get the Missile
Launcher will also replenish your missile supply. You access both of these by
pressing the Down arrow.
When you get the hang of the controls, make your way to the top of the room and
press Down to enter the door.
____________
[ First Cave ]
Take a left and jump over the spikes. If you're still getting familiarized with
the game, don't run too fast - you can't afford to get hit with just 3 health.
Run underneath the Bats and jump up into the small alcove containing a Life
Capsule (press Down to obtain it). Life Capsules increase your max health, so
try your best to collect all of them.
Continue downwards while avoiding the Bats. The last jump might be a bit
difficult - you have to perform a running jump immediately before you touch the
water. Ignore the Critter for now and make your way to the tiger-head
structure.
_________________
[ Hermit Gunsmith ]
Sneak past the sleeping geezer and open the treasure chest for your very first
weapon, the Polar Star. Makes you feel great, stealing from a senile man,
doesn't it?
____________
[ First Cave ]
Now that you have a weapon, you can kill all the enemies in this cave. Whenever
you defeat an enemy here, it will drop either a heart, which restores your
health, or an energy crystal, which gives your weapon experience points, which
will level up your weapons.
Make your way back to the Start Point but head right this time. Now you can
destroy those star blocks obstructing your way earlier, so make a path for
yourself while killing the Critters along the way. Don't be too hasty to jump
towards the door - it's actually guarded by a door mimic. Just keep shooting
it until it dies, then proceed to exit through the real door. I recommend that
you upgrade the Polar Star to level 2 before you exit.
==============================
| Mimiga Village [sect102] |XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
------------------------------
_________ _______
( Weapons )========( Items )=============.
| | |
| -none- | Map System |
'__________ | Silver Locket |
( Upgrades )=======| Arthur's Key |
| | |
| Life Capsule x1 | |
| | |
'----------------------------------------'
________________
[ Mimiga Village ]
You arrive at this cozy little village inhabited by rabbit-like creatures
called Mimigas. As soon as you can move again, head right to find a save point
and refill station. Feel free to chat with all the Mimigas in the village if
you want.
Once you're tired of talking, it's time to get a Map System. Go east of the
central save point and drop down the gap onto a hanging platform. From there,
hop your way across to the right and open the treasure chest for the Map
System.
Now, head back to the save point and jump upwards to reach Yamashita Farm.
________________
[ Yamashita Farm ]
Head to the other side of the farm to find a Life Capsule in the water.
________________
[ Mimiga Village ]
Next, enter the Reservoir on the middle left edge of the village.
___________
[ Reservoir ]
Hop your way to the fishing Mimiga and drop into the water. See those sparkles
at the bottom? Go towards them and press Down. You'll find the Silver Locket.
Now make your way towards the exit, and you'll encounter Toroko, that Mimiga
who initially ran away from you. She still seems a bit jumpy, though. Follow
her out.
________________
[ Mimiga Village ]
After the hilarious (and somewhat pathetic) scene is over, save at the save
point, refill any health you may have lost for whatever reason, and enter the
shack at the southeast corner of the village.
_______
[ Shack ]
Walk a bit to the right and Toroko will suddenly pop out of the ground and
attack you. Jump over her and shoot her to calm her down. Once she's sedated,
talk to her, and eventually two of the main villains will make their entrance -
Misery and Balrog, a witch and a lunchbox/toaster/robot respectively. You'll
have an option whether or not to fight Balrog. He gives a lot of experience
crystals if you beat him, so I suggest you fight him anyway.
.---------------.
( Boss: Balrog(1) )============================================================
'==============='
Huzzah! Meet Balrog, one of the most memorable characters in Cave Story. For
the first boss, he is's extremely easy to beat. At the most, this battle will
serve as a warm-up for future boss fights.
( Attacks )
Well, this is as easy as it gets. Balrog, being the simple-minded guy he is,
charges at you, and that's about it. After he runs at you twice, he'll do it
again but add a jump at the end of his charge, so watch for that. It's nothing
you shouldn't be able to predict and dodge correctly.
If you do happen to get too close to him, he'll grab you and deal some damage
(the animation for this is quite...interesting), then toss you away. It's easy
enough to avoid, just play keep-away and you'll be fine.
( Strategy )
Just continuously shoot him with the Polar Star, and if he gets too close then
jump over him. Piece of cake. Having the Polar Star at level 2 is recommended,
but don't sweat it if it's still at level 1. After you beat him he'll drop some
energy crystals for you. What a swell guy!
After Balrog retreats, head back to Mimiga Village.
===============================================================================
________________
[ Mimiga Village ]
Go up to the save point again and this time head right. Talk to Jack in front
of the Graveyard entrance and he'll scuttle away. Enter the Graveyard.
___________
[ Graveyard ]
Shoot the Pignons (those mushrooms) in your way, and jump over the Gravekeeper.
Loop around to the top-left corner to reach Arthur's gravestone. There's
something shiny here, so examine the sparkles to find Arthur's Key. Head back
to Mimiga Village.
________________
[ Mimiga Village ]
With Arthur's Key, you'll be able to open the door to Arthur's House, in the
lower-left hand corner of the village.
________________
[ Arthur's House ]
Arthur's House will serve as your home base for the majority of the game. Don't
get too comfortable, though, since you'll only stop by here for plots and heals
before getting whisked off to your next mission.
Once you're in, inspect the computer terminal and select YES to the question.
Now you can use the teleporter to access the next area, Egg Corridor.
============================
| Egg Corridor [sect103] |XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
----------------------------
_________ _______
( Weapons )========( Items )=============.
| | |
| Missile Launcher | ID Card |
'__________ | |
( Upgrades )=======| |
| | |
| Life Capsule x2 | |
| | |
'----------------------------------------'
______________
[ Egg Corridor ]
You'll immediately see a Life Capsule underneath you, so jump down into the
bottom tunnel as soon as the white spikey thing hits the wall. Be sure not to
let it touch you, since it will vaporize you in one hit.
Make your way back up and move towards the right. The first slew of enemies
shouldn't be too hard, and soon they'll drop enough weapon experience to max
out your Polar Star. After a while flying enemies should appear, but they're
easily taken down with one shot of the level 3 Polar Star.
Keep following the linear path until you reach a cut scene. Once it's over
(nice job just standing there, hero), go a bit further to reach a door.
_________________
[ Cthulhu's Abode ]
Save here, talk to Cthulhu if you feel like it, and exit through the top door.
______________
[ Egg Corridor ]
Jump across the gaps to reach the Life Capsule on the ledge. After that,
continue heading right. The platforming becomes a bit trickier now, but it
shouldn't be anything too challenging.
Once you reach Egg No. 06, hop down into the alcove containing the egg and jump
into it.
____________
[ Egg No. 06 ]
You are now inside the egg. Open the chest to find an ID Card, then go back out
through the door.
______________
[ Egg Corridor ]
Keep making your way east. Right as you reach another doorway, you will be
attacked by a larger variant of the flying bugs that you've seen. As long as
you keep moving, you should be able to avoid its green energy balls. These
enemies drop a ton of power-ups. Once you've killed it, enter the door.
______________________
[ Egg Observation Room ]
Save here and notice the red petals scattered around the bed. Take the elevator
to the bottom floor and you'll notice that two monitors glow red while the
others glow blue. The red monitors signal bad eggs, specifically Egg No. 06
(which, if you have been following my guide, you should have visited earlier),
and Egg No. 01. Now take the elevator to the top floor and open the chest for
Ze Missiles(!). You're all done here, so save and exit.
______________
[ Egg Corridor ]
From now on you'll notice that enemies can now drop missile refills. This is
one of two ways to refill your missile supply, the other being from a refill
station. From this point onwards, you should level up your missiles as often as
you can. Shoot something using the Polar Star, then switch to Missile Launcher
and pick up the crystals. There will now be more flying bugs, so be careful.
Make your way to Egg No. 01 and enter it.
____________
[ Egg No. 01 ]
activate the terminal using the ID Card.
______________
[ Egg Corridor ]
Now that the red barrier's gone, you can reach Igor, the one who you saw
kidnapping the Mimiga earlier.
.----------.
( Boss: Igor )=================================================================
'=========='
IGOR SMASH!!! This poor Mimiga has gone rampant, so now it's your job to put
him out of his misery. This fight isn't much harder than the Balrog encounter,
especially if you have level 2 or 3 missiles with you.
( Attacks )
Igor will immediately charge at you and try to stomp you. As with Balrog, you
can easily predict this and time your jump over him. If you get too close he'll
perform a lightning-quick jab with his fists, although its range is so short
that it's not even a mild threat. Once his health gets low, Igor will open his
mouth and fire a bunch of round projectiles at you. This attack has a fairly
obvious forewarning, so use this time to distance yourself from him (or jump
behind him if you're gutsy). The projectiles are also easily destroyable, so
you shouldn't have too much difficulty with this attack.
( Strategy )
This would a convenient time to try out those missiles you just received.
Unload rockets at Igor until he jumps, then wait until he lands and jump over
him. Switch to the Polar Star to destroy the projectiles he fires. Don't be
afraid to exhaust your missile supply; there will be a refill station very
soon.
Once you defeat Igor, head into the first door (the save room will still be
locked).
===============================================================================
____________
[ Egg No. 00 ]
Talk to the Mimiga lying on the ground. She'll introduce herself as Sue
Sakamoto, a human turned into a Mimiga. After she finishes rambling about her
brother and sky dragons, follow her back out to Egg Corridor.
______________
[ Egg Corridor ]
The rightmost door will now be open. Enter it.
___________
[ Side Room ]
Heal, save, and restock on missiles here to prepare for the trip back.
______________
[ Egg Corridor ]
The enemies are still the same as before, so you shouldn't have too much
trouble making the return trip. Use the two save points along the way (one in
the Egg Observation Room, the other in Cthulu's Abode). Once you reach the end,
take the teleporter back to Arthur's House.
=========================
| Grasstown [sect104] |XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
-------------------------
_________ _______
( Weapons )========( Items )=============.
| | |
| Fireball | Santa's Key |
| | Chaco's Lipstick* |
'__________ | Jellyfish Juice |
( Upgrades )=======| Rusty Key |
| | Charcoal |
| Life Capsule x2 | Gum Key |
| Missile Expn x2 | Gum Base |
| | Explosive |
| | |
'----------------------------------------'
* = optional
________________
[ Arthur's House ]
After the cut scene, exit to Mimiga Village.
________________
[ Mimiga Village ]
Make your way up to the top of the central save room area, where Sue and King
are. Talk to Sue to receive your next mission and destination. Make your way
back to Arthur's House.
________________
[ Arthur's House ]
The teleporter should now be connected to Grasstown. Jump in the teleporter
once again and select Grasstown as the destination.
___________
[ Grasstown ]
Jump up and head right to meet Santa, who dropped his key somewhere and now is
locked out of his own house (why not just go down the chimney?). Since he's a
big wuss, you'll need to find his key for him.
Continue right and you'll encounter your first enemies. Be careful here, not
only these do these Critters take more shots to kill than their Egg Corridor
counterparts, they can also fly short distances. Also, watch out for the Power
Critters, those giant blue ones. If they land on you, you'll lose a lot of
health, and given the low health you have right now, it basically means instant
death.
Anyway, kill everything along the way and eventually you'll see Santa's Key on
the ground. Be careful around this area, as there are a lot of enemies, and
things can get a bit hectic if you just rush straight into them. Nab Santa's
Key and head back to where Santa is. He'll tell you to follow him inside.
_______________
[ Santa's House ]
After you save and heal, talk to Santa to get the Fireball. Looks like you got
the better end of the deal, as the Fireball is an extremely effective weapon in
Grasstown.
Also, take note of the red spikes in the room. These will kill you in one hit,
so avoid them at all costs. They may seem laughably harmless right now, but
keep in mind that not every spike pit is going to have a huge warning sign in
front of it.
___________
[ Grasstown ]
Head right once again. Get weapon exp. for the Fireball at every opportunity.
Once it's at level 3, the Fireball will make short work of anything that's on
the ground. Note that while the fireballs are moving, you can switch to another
weapon for added power.
Head back to where you picked up Santa's Key. There's a Life Capsule here that
you can reach with some well-planned jumps. First off, go to the two platforms
where there are destroyable star blocks on each platform. Making your way to
the top platform, jump from there to a higher platform to the left, and keep
doing so until you reach the Life Capsule.
Now continue eastward, and make sure you don't fall into the spike pit. Keep
going until you reach another building and go inside.
_______________
[ Chaco's House ]
Save and press Down in front of the fireplace. Chaco will notice, and she'll
tell you about how the Jellyfish Juice can put out the fires (regular water
isn't good enough?). Head back outside to get the Jellyfish Juice.
= Easter Egg =
After Chaco informs you of the Jellyfish Juice, take a nap in the bed and see
what happens next (check your inventory). Oh you naughty boy, you.
___________
[ Grasstown ]
Once you go outside, you'll see that there are now Metr- er, I mean, jellyfish
floating around outside (thankfully you don't need the Ice Beam to kill them).
Go back the way you came, where you'll find a ton of these new enemies along
the way.
As you reach the location where Santa's Key once was, you'll notice a giant
jellyfish (called Kulala) attempting to camouflage itself on the ceiling. Shoot
it until it dies. It helps if you didn't destroy that star block underneath,
since Kulala would get trapped between it and the ceiling long enough for you
to finish it off. Once it's destroyed, it will drop an item chest containing
one serving of Jellyfish Juice.
Instead of heading back to Chaco's House, go left to Santa's House instead.
_______________
[ Santa's House ]
Put out the fire in the fireplace to get the Charcoal. This item will come in
handy later.
___________
[ Grasstown ]
Head back east, and kill Kulala again to obtain another Jellyfish Juice. At
this point you can head back to Mimiga Village's Assembly Hall to nab a new
weapon, but you don't really need it right now. We'll pick it up later, after
we're finished with Grasstown. Make your way to Chaco's House.
_______________
[ Chaco's House ]
Use the Jellyfish Juice to put out the fire and reveal a door. (who the hell
puts a door behind a fireplace? Grasstown's inhabitants are pretty weird.)
___________
[ Grasstown ]
Continue heading east. Eliminate all the flying bats before you attempt to jump
over a gap, as a single misstep can lead to your demise. At the part with a
bunch of bats hovering over three shallow spike pits, be careful of the Mannan,
the white tombstone-looking thing. If you hit it, it will retaliate by shooting
a red shockwave towards the direction it's facing. To take this particular one
out, kill him with missiles then hide in the spike-less pit to avoid the
shockwaves. Once you dispatch it, drop down the edge.
The first thing you'll come across is a house within a small alcove labeled
"Power Room". Unfortunately the door is locked shut, so just remember where it
is for now. Make your way across the bottom of the ruins, killing the bats and
Mannans, then jump up and head back across the middle section to reach another
door.
____________
[ Save Point ]
Why yes, yes it is.
___________
[ Grasstown ]
There are a couple of items that you can nab in this region. First, jump up
onto the top corridor of the structure and hop your way to a treasure chest
containing a Missile Expansion. This will increase the maximum number of
missiles you can hold by 5.
Next, drop down and walk to the building where the pink hoverbike(?) is parked.
Inspect the door, and you'll see a small text bubble appear from a crack in the
wall. Go inspect the crack; it turns out that someone is trapped in here. He'll
give you the Rusty Key, but the door to the building doesn't have any keyholes.
Leave the poor guy there for now, and head right until you come across a tower
with a skull above the door.
___________________
[ Execution Chamber ]
See those two well-camouflaged thwomp-like machines above the star blocks? If
you shoot the star block underneath it, the machine (called a Press) will drop
down and kill you.
First off, shoot star block right above the door and quickly move out of the
way. Once the Press lands, it's safe to touch it, so use it as a platform to
reach the next floor. Now kill the other Press and hop onto the star block it
once stood on. From there, destroy the star block above you and grab the Life
Capsule. To exit, you'll need to kill the first Press as well.
___________
[ Grasstown ]
Now that that's done, it's time to figure out what this Rusty Key is for. Go
save at the Save Point if you wish, then head back to the Power Room. The Rusty
Key will open the door.
____________
[ Power Room ]
Walk past the disabled robot and turn on the power. The robot will then come to
life. It sees you, spazzes out a bit, and is about to MOBILIZE AN UNDEFEATABLE
ARMY OF KILLER ROBOTS AND-
"Huzzah!"
...oh, never mind.
.---------------.
( Boss: Balrog(2) )============================================================
'==============='
Balrog's back for revenge, and for whatever absurd reason he's got himself a
pair of wings (so now he's a FLYING toaster monster? Awesome).
( Attacks )
Basically, he'll fly from one side of the room to the other, and scatter round
energy balls when he lands. This is easily avoided by walking underneath him
while he's flying, so the first half of the battle is almost a joke. Don't let
your guard down, though - once at low health, Balrog will start jumping around
instead of flying, so if you're not paying attention when this switch occurs,
you'll run right into him and lose a lot of health.
In the last part of the fight, just keep shooting at Balrog when he's on the
ground, and don't get too close to him (he still scatters energy balls every
time he lands). If you get pinned against a wall, run underneath him the next
time he jumps.
( Strategy )
Shoot at Balrog whenever he is on the ground. When he either flies or jumps at
you, dodge his attack appropriately and just continuously pound him with your
weapons. Unload your Missiles at him, and after you run out switch to the Polar
Star to finish him off. The Fireball isn't recommended in this fight because
that annoying ditch in the middle of the room severely hampers the weapon's
overall effectiveness.
> Advanced Strategy <
When I said that the Fireball was useless in this fight, I lied. As soon as the
battle starts, get up close to Balrog, then as he lifts off, hitch a ride on
top of him. You won't get contact damage, and you're at a prime position to use
the Fireball. Balrog will go down rather quickly this way.
===============================================================================
____________
[ Power Room ]
After Balrog takes his leave, help the robot by pulling him out of the ground.
He'll be so grateful for your help that he'll make an Explosive for you to bomb
down that door (what is with Grasstown's obsession with fire?), but first he
tells you to gather three materials: Jellyfish Juice, Charcoal, and Gum Base.
Go back outside.
___________
[ Grasstown ]
Save at the Save Point if you like, then take the fan up the ledge you once
came from (hold down the Jump button to fly higher). Backtrack all the way to
where our good ol' pal Kulala is and get another Jellyfish Juice from it.
If you've been following my guide, you should already have Charcoal in your
inventory. If not, go back to Santa's house and use the Jellyfish Juice on his
fireplace. Now go back yet again to inner Grasstown (and pick up another
Jellyfish Juice alone the way) and this time, instead of entering Chaco's
fireplace, use the fan outside to reach the next section.
Once you reach the locked building, inspect the door once again, and the guy
will call out to you again. He agrees that Explosives might do the trick, and
will give you the Gum Key. Next to the building should be a fan, so use it to
access the building on the ledge.
_______________
[ Grasstown Hut ]
Open the chest to receive another Missile Expansion. As soon as you turn
around, an enraged Mimiga will pop out of the fireplace and attack you. It hops
twice then lunges at you, so predict its attacks and jump over him. It
shouldn't take long for you to defeat it.
___________
[ Grasstown ]
Now make your way right, past the Execution Chamber. Keep going until you hit
the easternmost end. From there, get onto the middle level, save, and jump into
the path of the fans. They will carry you far enough so you land on the
opposite platform. Do the same thing for the topmost fans (watch that you don't
fall into that hole at the end), and open the door with the Gum Key.
_____
[ Gum ]
Open the chest to get the Gum Base. At this instant, Misery and Balrog appears.
They converse for a bit, and then Misery transforms Balrog into a...er...
.------------------.
( Boss: Balrog(frog) )=========================================================
'=================='
Looks like Balrog's appearance took a great leap forward! *BA-DUM TISH*. The
frog Balrog (or Balfrog, as I'm going to refer to him) might seem intimidating
at first, but he's actually quite easy to take down with the proper tactics.
Also, note the fans on the opposite ends of the room; you'll need them.
( Attacks )
First, Balfrog will slowly hop towards you. After each hop, a small frogling
will drop from the ceiling. Since you can't damage Balfrog unless his mouth is
open, concentrate on getting rid of the froglings instead. When he gets close
enough to you, hop onto one of the fans and sail over him.
Once you land, destroy any froglings left. Balfrog will turn around and spew
red projectiles from his mouth. The projectiles are destroyable, so most of the
time they shouldn't hit you if you shoot continuously. If you have the Bubbler
at this point, you can use it as a shield against the projectiles, but with my
strategy it's not really necessary.
After a while Balfrog will close his mouth, and the cycle repeats.
Occasionally at low health, Balfrog will take a great leap and slam down,
causing both froglings and large frogs to fall from the ceiling. Just make sure
you don't get hit by one of these and destroy them appropriately.
( Strategy )
The Fireball is the weapon of choice for this fight. While Balfrog is jumping
around, use it to kill the froglings that drop from the ceiling. Once Balfrog
pins you against the wall, jump over him (but don't land too far away from him)
and kill any remaining froglings so they won't cause you any trouble.
Now stand right next to Balfrog. As he opens his mouth, aim upwards and spam
Fireball. If done correctly, the fireballs should destroy all of Balfrog's
projectiles and cause massive damage to his larynx. Get away quickly after he
closes his mouth. Since the froglings drop weapon exp. and health, don't sweat
it if you get hit once or twice. Using this tactic, it won't be long until he
croaks. *BA-DUM TISH*.
===============================================================================
_____
[ Gum ]
You're finished here, so head outside.
___________
[ Grasstown ]
Save and head back to the Power Room. You can avoid killing the monsters on the
ground again by going through a gap in the wall.
____________
[ Power Room ]
Talk to Malco again, and he'll use the three items you collected for him to
create an Explosive. I think you know what to do with this.
___________
[ Grasstown ]
Go back to the Shelter and blow up that door. Finally.
_________
[ Shelter ]
Hey, this room looks familiar...
After all that dialogue is over, save and head outside.
___________
[ Grasstown ]
Kazuma and Prof. Booster will jack the hoverbike and take off by themselves,
leaving you to go on foot, those bastards. Anyway, say goodbye to Malco if you
wish, then head back west. Along the way, make sure to pick up another vial of
Jellyfish Juice. This will be the last one you'll need. Take the teleporter
back to Arthur's House.
=========================
| Sand Zone [sect105] |XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
-------------------------
_________ _______
( Weapons )========( Items )=============.
| | |
| Bubbler | Hajime |
| Machine Gun* | Curly's Underwear* |
| Blade | Mick |
'__________ | Kakeru |
( Upgrades )=======| Shinobu |
| | Nene |
| Life Capsule x2 | Life Pot |
| | |
'----------------------------------------'
* = optional
________________
[ Arthur's House ]
When you get back, you'll encounter some major plot action, and everybody will
gather inside Arthur's House for a party. Talk to Sue, and another plot twist
will develop. Before you venture into the Sand Zone, however, there's something
we need to collect. Exit Arthur's House via the door.
________________
[ Mimiga Village ]
Go up top and enter the Assembly Hall, the building next to the Graveyard.
_______________
[ Assembly Hall ]
There's a fireplace here, so use the Jellyfish Juice on it and you'll find the
weapon I mentioned earlier - the Bubbler.
________________
[ Mimiga Village ]
Head back to Arthur's House.
________________
[ Arthur's House ]
If you feel like wasting time, go to Egg Corridor and level up the Bubbler.
Otherwise, save and take the teleporter to the Sand Zone.
___________
[ Sand Zone ]
After taking just a few steps, you'll see a strange-looking girl, who will then
walk away. Continue walking and jump up the shaft while avoiding/killing the
bugs. When you reach the top, head left and enter the building.
_____________________
[ Sand Zone Residence ]
Hey, it's the girl from earlier. Hi, how are you, beautiful? Do you live here?
Let's go out someti- oh ****, a gun? I-I was just joking, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!
.-----------------.
( Boss: Curly Brace )==========================================================
'================='
Due to an unfortunate misunderstanding, Curly Brace and her band of Mimiga
children (Mimigalings?) will attack you. Since you can't speak, the only way to
reach an understanding is by sheer brute force. Diplomacy, huzzah!
( Attacks )
Curly's only weapon is her machine gun, but it dishes out hurt like nothing
else. Make sure you have the sound turned on for this fight, since you can then
hear when Curly's charging her gun and jump and the appropriate time. The most
important thing to do in this match is to not jump carelessly. If you're in the
air when Curly fires her machine gun, chances are that when you land, you're
going to receive a face-full of bullets. Also, Curly can adjust her firing
direction in 90 degree angles, so don't try to jump over her. The Mimiga
children try to hurt you by tackling you, but they do insignificant damage and
a hit can stun them for a good period of time. The trick here is to not let
them distract you from Curly, the main threat in this fight.
( Strategy )
First off, missiles are useless in the match since Curly has some sort of force
field that blocks them. The Fireball should suffice, since you can hit Curly
even if you're jumping to dodge her bullets. They also disable the Mimigas
fairly quickly and effectively. Just keep a level head and don't jump too much
and you'll pull through.
===============================================================================
_____________________
[ Sand Zone Residence ]
After you defeat Curly, she'll ask you if you want to trade your Polar Star for
her Machine Gun (the trade is permanent, so no take-backs). Keep in mind that
the Machine Gun is one of three weapons you can trade your Polar Star for. You
can read more about the pros and cons of each weapon in the Weapons section.
Personally, I'm not a huge fan of the Machine Gun so I would recommend keeping
your Polar Star for now, but it's your choice. Once you either accepted or
declined her offer, talk to the Mimiga on the far left, then enter the door
marked by a save point.
____________
[ Small Room ]
Save and heal here, then pick up the dog by the bed. Aww, doesn't he look cute
sitting on your head?
= Easter Egg =
Checking the Map System will reveal a secret passageway. If you go along it and
hop into that small alcove at the end of the tunnel, you can find Curly's
Underwear by pressing Down. Like Chaco's Lipstick, it doesn't do anything, nor
does Curly ever react to it.
_____________________
[ Sand Zone Residence ]
Head back out to Sand Zone.
___________
[ Sand Zone ]
Make your way to the right by destroying the star blocks. Soon you'll see giant
spinning blade enemies. They're not too difficult, but after you destroy them
they spawn lots of mini blades that take only 1 hit to kill. Although annoying,
these enemies drop a bunch of power-ups, so that's always nice.
In the first column of star blocks, carve a path to reach the Life Capsule at
the top.
The next section is comprised of tall, thick columns of star blocks, with sand
pits between them. There are blade enemies between the columns, but like before
they shouldn't pose a problem. The most dangerous part of this section are the
Sandcrocs that reside beneath the sand pits; when you touch the sand, they snap
up at you, dealing heavy damage. They're extremely fast and difficult to avoid,
so make sure you stay off the sand pits no matter what. If you somehow fall
into the sand, jump IMMEDIATELY after hitting the ground, and the Sandcroc will
miss you by a hair.
The easiest way to get through this section is to make a single opening into
the pit area, preferably near the top, and wait for a blade to near the
opening. Once it gets there, kill it quickly and shoot down all his spawns.
Then when the pit is clear of all blades, create a jumping space at least two
blocks tall on both block columns and jump over the gap into the next block
column.
After the last block column, you can access a save point in a hidden passage,
whose entrance is marked by a block with a paw-shaped symbol on it. There are
also hidden hearts in this passage; shoot the air to reveal them.
The star blocks are now arranged in a zigzag pattern. It's best to travel along
the top of the star blocks and avoid confronting any blades in the middle.
After that section you'll come across a refill station. Restore your health and
continue on into the large room.
Hey, it's Misery again (what, no Balrog?). She'll talk to you for a bit, then
fly off as a large monster pops out from the sand.
.-----------.
( Boss: Omega )================================================================
'==========='
It's a random giant machine antlion thing. Let's kill it.
( Attacks )
Omega will start the battle by opening its mouth and spewing out lots of slow-
moving projectiles into the air. There are two different kinds of projectiles:
the brown ones are indestructible and disappear once they hit the ground, while
the red ones bounce along the ground indefinitely, but are destroyable. After
Omega finishes spitting out projectiles, he'll close his mouth and bury into
the sand for a while, only to re-emerge somewhere else once again.
At half health, Omega will no longer bury into the sand; he will now jump
towards you, firing off red projectiles every time he jumps. In addition to
avoiding the projectiles, you now have to worry about getting crushed by the
body, but it shouldn't prove to be too difficult to avoid.
( Strategy )
Similar to Balfrog, Omega can only be damaged when his mouth is open. For the
first part, don't use the Missile Launcher, as Omega will immediately shut its
mouth and burrow into the sand, making it difficult to damage him. Instead, opt
for the Fireball. Once Omega emerges, get up close to it and spam the Fireball,
similar to what you did for Balfrog. Destroy any projectiles coming towards
you, then continue to fire at him until he retreats.
Once Omega starts hopping, you're free to use missiles if you'd like, but the
Fireball can get the job done faster. Still keep close to him, and run
underneath him when he jumps. Continue pounding him with fireballs and he'll go
down quickly.
If you traded with Curly for the Machine Gun, you can try this alternative
strategy that Corey Gross submitted. With the Machine Gun at level 3, you can
use its recoil to fly directly above Omega. By shooting downwards, you'll
destroy most of the projectiles as well as deal damage to the boss. You'll have
to stop and land once or twice, but otherwise this is a safe and easy method to
take Omega down.
You've now lifted the spell of the sunstones. Woot.
===============================================================================
___________
[ Sand Zone ]
Head back the way you came, and heal at the refill station if you lost any
health or used any missiles. If you haven't quit or reset since Sand Zone
Residence, things should still be the way you left them, which is quite
convenient.
As you near the Sand Zone Residence, a new path should open for you. Hop down
and kill the Skullheads, then make your way left to Jenka's House.
_______________
[ Jenka's House ]
The old woman Jenka will thank you for bringing her one of her darling puppies.
She then asks you to find her remaining four puppies, who have all wandered off
somewhere. Time to get started, then.
By the way, I've seen a lot of people having trouble locating the puppies, so
here's a checklist for all of them:
.===========================================================================.
| Puppy | Location |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Hajime | Inside Sand Zone Residence (must speak to left-most Mimiga |
| | first). |
|---------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| Mick | From Jenka's House, head up until you see a paw-shaped block, |
| | indicating a secret passage. Take it to the end and open the |
| | chest to find Mick. |
|---------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| Kakeru | At the bottom floor of Sand Zone. He's in plain sight. Catch |
| | him by pressing Down just as he passes you. |
|---------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| Shinobu | Look for a path upwards as you head right along the bottom of |
| | Sand Zone. You'll spot a secret passage. Shinobu is at the end, |
| | but runs into a dark house. Use the Map System to find a safe |
| | path to Shinobu. |
|---------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| Nene | Near the Sand Zone Storehouse, in plain sight. |
'---------------------------------------------------------------------------'
___________
[ Sand Zone ]
The first puppy is quite easy to reach. From Jenka's House, head up the way you
came, and at the topmost row of star blocks you'll notice a paw print block on
the right. Enter the secret tunnel to find a Life Capsule and a puppy in the
treasure chest. Head back to Jenka's House.
_______________
[ Jenka's House ]
Again, Jenka will thank you, and blabber about Mimigas and Red Flowers. We have
two puppies now, so let's find the rest.
___________
[ Sand Zone ]
Head down this time. You should see a sign pointing you towards the Sand Zone
Storehouse, where the Red Flowers are kept. Go past the sign and stick to the
platforms, ignoring the enemies walking on the ground. If you're having too
much trouble defeating the Crow + Skullhead combination, you can always use the
Bubbler for a shield and slowly but surely bombard them to death.
Hop along the platforms until you find a path upwards. You'll come across
another secret passage, which will lead you to another puppy. As soon as you
approach it, however, it will scamper into the building. Follow it in.
________________
[ Deserted House ]
The room is entirely pitch black, but you can use the Map System to find a path
to the puppy. Don't land in the sand pit; there's a Sandcroc in there. You also
can't boost up that shaft using the Machine Gun because of the dripping water.
Once you obtain the puppy, save and head back out.
___________
[ Sand Zone ]
Make your way back to Jenka's House.
_______________
[ Jenka's House ]
Three puppies down, two to go. Sigh.
___________
[ Sand Zone ]
Again head down and to the right, but this time travel along the ground, using
the Fireball to kill the Armadillos and Skullsteps while using the Polar Star
or Machine Gun to shoot down the Crows and Skullheads. Eventually, you'll reach
the end of the hallway, where another puppy is waiting. He's guarded by a
Skeleton, though, so be careful and take it out from afar. When you approach
the puppy, he will start running along the ground. When he runs near you,
quickly press Down to catch him. Now that you have another puppy, head back to
Jenka's House again.
_______________
[ Jenka's House ]
Booop.
___________
[ Sand Zone ]
Go down and to the right, and this time you can just travel on the platforms.
Instead of heading up, though, continue going right. You'll have to make a
couple of tricky jumps at the end, which will lead you to the next section. Use
the Fireball to kill the Skullsteps and Skeleton in the three-tiered structure,
then jump down onto the pillars to the right.
This area is swarmed with Crows, but they won't attack you unless you shoot
them. Use this to your advantage so you only have to deal with a couple of them
at a time.
Now keep heading right until you reach the edge of the map. The building here
is the Sand Zone Storehouse, but it's locked right now. Hop onto the platforms
to reach the last puppy, as well as a save point and refill station. It's
highly recommended that you make the return trip to Jenka's House before you
turn off or reset your game, because it would be a pain to kill all those
monsters again.
_______________
[ Jenka's House ]
Did Balrog just jump an old frail lady? For shame. He also scared away the
puppies, which meant we collected them for nothing... what a jerk.
Anyway, Jenka will give you a Life Pot and asks you to stop the Doctor from
obtaining the Red Flower seeds. So now it's time to head back to the Storehouse
once again.
___________
[ Sand Zone ]
Head back to Sand Zone Storehouse, the same way you did before. Make sure you
save and heal before you enter.
______________________
[ Sand Zone Storehouse ]
Enjoy the lengthy cut scene for now. Man, this is one hell of a mess you've
gotten yourself into.
.---------------------.
( Boss: Frenzied Toroko )======================================================
'====================='
Toroko is a surprisingly challenging boss. Although she basically only has one
method of attack, it's very fast and powerful. Also, try not to lose too much
health during this battle, because there won't be any refill stations for a
long while.
( Attacks )
Toroko's only method of damage is to pick up and hurl stone blocks at you. She
has two ways of doing this: one way is to directly throw the block in your
direction. You can dodge this by jumping right as she hurls the block (jump too
soon and she'll hit you in mid-air). The second method of attack is to jump up
and throw a block towards you at the apex of the jump. This one is easier to
predict than the first method and can be easily avoided just by moving. In
either cases, the blocks travel very fast, do 10 damage per hit, and will most
likely level down your current weapon.
Wherever the block hits, a yellow flower creature will spawn, and will slowly
hop towards you. These flowers aren't very threatening, although if you don't
destroy them immediately they might sneak up on you. Still, keep your attention
primarily focused on Toroko.
( Strategy )
If you have the Machine Gun, this match should go by relatively fast if you can
manage to avoid getting hit. Stand half a screen away from Toroko and spray her
with Machine Gun fire. Jump over the blocks she throws while on the ground, and
quickly move under her when she jumps. This way, you'll be able to still damage
Toroko and kill the flower spawn at the same time. This strategy can also be
done with the Polar Star or Missile Launcher, but they're not as effective as
the Machine Gun is. The Fireball isn't very effective in this fight because
Toroko tends to jump a lot. Also, before you consider using missiles on her,
keep in mind that there won't be a refill station for quite a while.
===============================================================================
______________________
[ Sand Zone Storehouse ]
Go talk to King and he will leave behind his Blade, so pick it up and head out.
___________
[ Sand Zone ]
As soon as you exit, you get knocked unconscious by Balrog, and Misery will
send you to a place only known as...the Labyrinth. Dun dun dun.
=========================
| Labyrinth [sect106] |XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
-------------------------
_________ _______
( Weapons )========( Items )=============.
| | |
| Snake* | Turbocharge* |
| Super Missiles | Clinic Key |
'__________ | Cure-All |
( Upgrades )=======| Arms Barrier* |
| | Booster v0.8* |
| Life Capsule x1 | Tow Rope* |
| | Curly's Air Tank |
| | |
'----------------------------------------'
* = optional
_____________
[ Labyrinth I ]
Where the hell are we? Looks like Misery dropped you off in a prison of some
sort. I guess we'll have to activate that switch to open the door, like the
robot says. Slowly and steadily, make your way up the shaft (or just fly your
way up with the Machine Gun if you have it). The Critters here can now shoot
projectiles at you, so be careful. This is a great time to try out the Blade;
it kills them in one hit. Be sure to nab the Life Capsule halfway up.
As you near the top, you'll encounter moving platforms. Time your jumps so you
land on the next block right as it passes you, and make your way up to the
terminal. Activate it and jump all the way back down. Save and exit.
_____________
[ Labyrinth B ]
Looks like those robots didn't get very far. Kill the lone Gaudi, that
cockroach-like monster, and head left. Once you get to the top portion, you'll
hear a sliding block. If you're fast enough, you can run to the point where the
ceiling is high and jump over the block. If not, just wait underneath the
corridor until the block hits the end. At the last part, the moving block might
take you by surprise, so watch out for that. Exit through the door.
_____________
[ Labyrinth W ]
Head right and kill the Critters. You'll eventually reach a building. Kill the
Gaudis outside and enter it.
________________
[ Labyrinth Shop ]
Don't worry, these Gaudis won't hurt you. Save and talk to Chaba, the shop
clerk. If you traded your Polar Star for the Machine Gun, he will give you the
Turbocharge, which increases the recharge speed of the Machine Gun, making it
even more deadly. If you still have the Polar Star, he will offer to trade both
your Polar Star and Fireball for the Snake weapon. The Snake's unique design
gives it the ability to shoot through walls, which is very useful in the later
parts of the Labyrinth. Don't worry about the Fireball either - its usefulness
rapidly diminishes after Grasstown and Sand Zone. If you refuse to get the
Snake, you can obtain the Spur later on in the game. Anyways, once you're done
here head back outside.
_____________
[ Labyrinth W ]
Use the Gaudis outside to level up your Snake and Blade if you like, then head
right. Here the Snake really comes in handy, as it can kill those flying Gaudis
without having to worry about their projectiles. Shoot your way through the
water-filled chambers until you come across a large area with a bunch of
Gaudis. You'll see a door on the lower right. Enter it.
______
[ Camp ]
The physician here will heal your health "for free", and We all know what that
means. He'll then give you the Clinic Key, asking you to go to the haunted
Clinic Ruins (WHO YA GONNA CAAAALLLL?) and find some medicine. Next to the
nurse you'll meet Curly again, who apparently was also captured and taken by
Misery. Note the chest at the top of the room. You can't access it from here,
so head back out.
_____________
[ Labyrinth W ]
In the large area you're in, climb upwards to the topmost level. The door to
the left leads to the Clinic Ruins, but there's a nifty little item we can get
our hands on first.
Opposite of the door you'll see a star block, which is actually the entrance to
a hidden tunnel. If you have the Machine Gun, you can easily propel yourself up
into the passage. If you don't have it, this may prove a bit more challenging.
First off, don't kill the Critter near the tunnel - we need him alive. Next,
switch to an unimportant weapon like the Fireball or Bubbler. From the previous
platform, jump as high as you can towards the tunnel entrance. The Critter,
seeing you, will also jump to attack you. At the apex of your jump, you should
touch the Critter, and the recoil from the contact damage should give you just
enough height to reach the tunnel entrance. You lose some health and weapon
exp. in the process, but those can be easily replenished. Follow the tunnel
downward and enter the door.
______
[ Camp ]
Now you'll be at the upper floor of Camp, where you can access the chest you
saw earlier. In it is the Arms Barrier, which halves the weapon experience you
lose whenever you get damaged. Awesome.
_____________
[ Labyrinth W ]
Head back up the tunnel, restore your health and weapon exp., and save at Camp
if you like. Now make your way to the Clinic Ruins.
______________
[ Clinic Ruins ]
Open the treasure chest to find a Cure-All. Suddenly, you'll be attacked by...
...Dark Balrog?
.----------------.
( Boss: Pooh Black )===========================================================
'================'
A.k.a. Balrog's evil(er) twin. Apparently he's the "ghost" that the nurse had
talked about. Warding him off is a relatively easy task to do.
( Attacks )
This guy is pretty lame. For one thing, he won't even do anything unless you
attack him. Once you attack him, he'll fight back by releasing black bubbles
in the air around him. If you stand a far enough distance from him, you'll
never get hit by them.
Once Pooh Black has taken enough damage, he'll jump into the ceiling. After a
while of nothing happening, bubbles will rain down from the ceiling, and Pooh
Black will try to stomp you. Be careful of this attack, not because of Pooh
Black himself, but because of the raining bubbles. The ones with transparent
centers don't do anything, but solid ones will damage you. Fortunately, the
bubbles are destroyable, so just run to the other side of the room while
shooting upwards to ensure that you won't get hit. Pooh Black should land a
fairly good distance from you, so you can prepare for your next attack.
( Strategy )
The Blade works wonders in this fight. Whether you have it at level 2 or 3
(level 2 is actually preferable for faster damage output), hit Pooh Black
repeatedly with it. Once he jumps up, just switch to Polar Star/Machine Gun/
Snake and shoot the bubbles. A very easy boss battle, really.
obesebear submitted this alternative strategy. As soon as Pooh Black appears,
stand next right to the little block he's perched on and fire upward with the
level 2 Blade (other weapons work as well, but will take longer). He'll fly up
and land right on top of the block again, out of harm's way. You might get hit
by a few of his bubbles, though. Just stay in that one spot and keep attacking
him and he'll go down in no time.
With Pooh Black out of the way, head back outside.
===============================================================================
_____________
[ Labyrinth W ]
Head back to Camp while refilling any weapon exp. you lost by killing the
Gaudis.
______
[ Camp ]
The physician will thank you for bringing him the medicine, and promises to
treat Curly as quickly as possible. Talk to Curly to learn more about the
Labyrinth, then save and head back out. If you come back here again, you'll
notice that Curly is gone, and the nurse will tell you that she's gone ahead to
Boulder Chamber.
_____________
[ Labyrinth W ]
Make your way right this time. You'll eventually come across a shaft, and a
moving block will descend from the ceiling. The timing is a bit tricky here -
if you hesitate, you'll get crushed by the block, but if you jump too soon you
won't make it on top of the block and will land in the spikes as a result. Past
that is another shaft, also with a moving block, but is easier than the last
one.
Now make your way right and kill all the Gaudis in your way. You'll spot a
large machine contraption of some sort, but it's dormant right now. Continue
right and take out all the Gaudis, especially the flying ones. As you reach a
certain point, barriers will close around the corridor and you'll be thrust
into a boss fight with the machine you saw earlier.
.---------------.
( Boss: Monster X )============================================================
'==============='
One of the most challenging bosses in Cave Story, Monster X is a pain to take
down, and will probably kill you the first few times. There are a lot of ways
to get damaged in this fight, so play conservatively and you'll outlast him.
It's recommended that you get the Arms Barrier beforehand.
( Attacks )
Monster X starts by speeding towards you. If you get run over by its treads,
you'll lose a ton of health and will probably level down. As he nears you, hop
onto his tread, then before you hit the red barrier hop again to his other
tread. Monster X should reverse directions and speed the other way. Do this
three times and he will stop completely.
Once Monster X comes to a halt, his main body will then open up. Before you can
directly damage him, you have to take out the four green orbs on his body. The
orbs will constantly shoot those purple projectiles at you (which you're
probably already tired of seeing, from those flying Gaudis and whatnot). The
projectiles are destroyable, so avoid them while damaging the green orbs. When
an orb is destroyed, it will stop shooting projectiles at you, so at least
that's good news. After a while, Monster X's body will close and he'll start
moving again, starting the cycle anew.
Once you destroy all 4 of the orbs, its entire body will be damageable.
In response, it will now fire fish-shaped heat-seeking missiles at you. They're
also destroyable projectiles, but they come in swarms so things might get a
little hectic.
There is a pretty safe way of getting through this part: Once Monster X opens
up, damage him as much as you can before the missiles start to round on you,
then quickly switch to the level 3 Bubbler and cast bubbles around yourself.
This will block every single missile aimed at you, keeping you alive and
undamaged. When all the missiles are destroyed and Monster X starts moving
again, make sure to let the Bubbler recharge its ammo before you switch it for
something else.
( Strategy )
The very first thing you should do is kill all the Gaudis in the hallway - you
don't want them to distract you during the fight. Next, hop back and forth
between the treads until Monster X opens up. Take your stand on the ground
between the treads and aim upwards with either the Missile Launcher or Polar
Star (or any variants). Even if you get hit once or twice by projectiles,
ignore the damage and continue to shoot until he closes again. By this time
there should be a lot of health and energy crystals scattered on the floor from
the projectiles, so use the time to restore any lost health or weapon exp.
Continue this pattern until you destroy all the green orbs.
During the second phase, you should still stand in between the treads when
Monster X opens up. This time, fire a level 3 Blade or multiple level 2 Blades
into the main body to rack up tons of damage. With the level 3 Blade, you'll
also destroy a lot of the homing missiles with that massive area of effect
damage. Keep damaging Monster X as much as you can with the Blade until he
closes up, then get rid of the remaining missiles. A slower but safer strategy
here is to fire off one level 3 Blade, then run the hell away and switch to the
Bubbler to block the missiles. Keep on damaging Monster X while avoiding his
attacks, and you'll have him beaten in no time.
After you defeat him, Monster X will explode. It was a cat all along!
===============================================================================
_____________
[ Labyrinth W ]
Continue past Monster X's corridor. There are no more enemies, thank goodness,
so waltz your way to the door at the end.
_____________
[ Labyrinth B ]
Looks like Professor Booster dropped by to pay you a visit. First of all, reach
that save point and save. Now, you'll need to make a decision: get the
Booster v0.8 right now, or wait to get the Booster v2.0 later? The Booster will
help a lot in the next area you're going to, but it's not necessary. However,
if you get the Booster now, you won't be able to get the better version, v2.0,
later, which means you'll miss out on the secret stage after the final boss
fight. Either way, it's your choice.
If you opted to go for the Booster now, then drop down and talk to Professor
Booster. He'll give you the Booster v0.8. Equip the Booster by going to the
items menu and selecting the Booster v0.8; you'll then be prompted to equip it.
Boost your way up (tap the Jump key twice), save, heal, and exit through the
door on the right.
If you decided to skip the Booster, you'll have to leap across the chasm to
reach the opposite door. See that red marking on that block? That's the line
from which you should jump. If at first you don't succeed, you fail, and the
game will have to be reset. Once you make it, exit through the door.
Also note that the refill station up top can only be reached with the Booster
or the Machine Gun.
_________________
[ Boulder Chamber ]
You now arrive at the Boulder Chamber everybody's been talking about. If you
gave the physician the Cure-All, Curly should be waiting for you here. She
needs your help to push the boulder aside, so grab on to the opposite end of
the boulder and heave. Hmm, looks like it's too heavy for both of you. What
do you do now?
Suddenly...
"Huzzah!"
Yes, our favorite talking suitcase is back, and this time he's all business,
except...not really. He knocks out Curly so you'll have to fight him alone, not
that it's that big of a deal anyway.
.---------------.
( Boss: Balrog(3) )============================================================
'==============='
After Monster X, this battle seems almost like a joke. Don't let down your
guard, though; although you have a solid chance of winning, it's surprisingly
easy to get damaged in this battle, and if you don't have the Machine Gun or
Booster you can't access the refill station in the previous room. This will be
your last skirmish with our favorite toaster monster. :sadface:
( Attacks )
After seeing how effective your Missile Launcher was, Balrog attempts to
imitate you with missiles of his own. Fortunately for us, unlike your missiles,
his rockets are but cheap imitations, and can be destroyed in a few hits. At
the start of the battle, Balrog will rush towards you, then jump while shooting
out six or so missiles in your direction. They hover in the air a bit before
accelerating, so take that time to destroy them. Be careful as they don't die
in just one hit like other projectiles. The missiles are Balrog's only form of
attack in this battle.
( Strategy )
The Blade dominates here. A level 3 Blade will not only damage Balrog, but it
will also destroy many of his missiles with the AoE damage. The level 2 Blade
works as well, but you'll have to stand close to Balrog to use it and you might
get hit by the missiles in the process. You can use ranged weapons if you want,
but the Blade can take down Balrog much faster than anything else.
===============================================================================
_________________
[ Boulder Chamber ]
Balrog will agree to help you move the boulder, and with the strength of the
three of you combined, you are able to hurl the boulder away, revealing a door
leading to the next section. After finally showing his good side, Balrog will
depart. Open the chest he drops to get the Super Missiles, which will replace
your original missiles with faster and more powerful ones. Save, heal, and
enter the door.
_____________
[ Labyrinth M ]
In this part, you'll have Curly by your side. She's CPU-controlled, and will
follow you while automatically shooting at enemies. If you did not trade for
her Machine Gun, she will use it during this fight. Otherwise, she'll use your
Polar Star. She also can't be damaged by enemies or spikes, and can't drown.
Wish you were built like that, huh?
Since your Missile Launcher got reset to level 1, shoot the Gaudi eggs to get
some weapon exp. to level it up (you can enter/exit repeatedly to max out its
weapon bar). There are some new enemies here, including giant fans which shoot
rings of fire at you. The rings are slow-moving, so the fans don't pose a huge
threat.
A more dangerous foe are the Armors, those blue-tinted ninja Gaudis. They will
hop twice then jump and throw three blades at you. The blades can't be shot
down, so you'll have to dodge them to avoid taking damage. Armors are also
stationed at the most annoying places. Fortunately, you have Curly on your
side, so most of the time you can just hide somewhere while she goes on a
shooting rampage.
Head right while dispatching the enemies. If you have the Snake, you can easily
kill a bunch of fans and Armors from behind a wall where they can't reach you.
Otherwise, wait for Curly to take out a bunch of them, then charge in and
finish off the rest. Move slowly through the area, killing all the enemies as
you go. Soon you'll reach the eastern end of the room. There's a shaft that
leads downwards here, so drop down to the second level.
This level has a layer of water, which will hamper your movement. To remedy
this, stay out of the water as much as you can. You can get some power-ups from
the Gaudi eggs, then when you're done head left. There's a new enemy here, a
barnacle-like monster called a BuyoBuyo Base. It spits out floating amoeba-like
BuyoBuyos at you. Destroying these is easy, so make your way near a BuyoBuyo
Base and shoot it a lot to destroy it.
As you make your way right, you'll come across an area where the water is deep.
If you fall into the water here and don't have a way to propel yourself out,
you'll have to make your way to where the water is shallow and jump out.
Although not life-threatening, it's fairly annoying, so keep your feet on the
platforms above the water and let Curly (who's got an Air Tank) get rid of the
BuyoBuyo Bases. Time your jumps properly to get past the water pool.
In the next area, you'll be swarmed by fans and Armors. There's a safe spot
directly behind the highest block on the ground, so use it for cover as you pop
up and quickly fire on the enemies. Let Curly take out the Armors on the
ground. Past this part is a computer terminal, which will open a hatch leading
downwards to the lowest level. Watch out for the spikes as you fall.
As soon as you land, you'll see a teleporter, which is connected to the one in
the Labyrinth Shop. If you have the Booster or the Machine Gun, make your way
to the save point and save. If not, don't fall down, because you won't be able
to get back up and will have to take the long route back.
Anyways, head right from the teleporter and you'll see yet another new enemy, a
bunch of Fuzz revolving around a Fuzz Core. It won't attack you directly, but
once you destroy the Fuzz Core the smaller Fuzz will then swarm towards you.
They don't do a lot of damage, but they can be hard to take down, so make sure
you kill the smaller Fuzzes before killing the Fuzz Core.
Past all the Fuzz is a door. Enter it.
____________
[ Dark Place ]
Save your progress here. If you're still missing health, weapon exp., or
missiles, go back to Labyrinth M to refill them. When you're completely maxed
out, head through the door to the right.
______
[ Core ]
Strange, this area seems entirely different from the Labyrinth. Jump up to the
computer terminal to open the shutters. The computer will then inform you of an
abnormality in Shutter No. 4. Find the shutter (hint: it has a big red "4" on
it) and shoot at it. You'll free the shutter and it will slide up. There seems
to be another, larger shutter after that, though.
Head back to the terminal, and you'll be able to lower a lift below you. Head
down the lift and into the water-filled passageway. Don't worry about drowning,
you'll make it to the other side long before you run out of air. At the other
side, open the last shutter with the terminal, then head back. Now would be a
good time to go back to Dark Place and save, so that if you reset you won't
have to go through all that again.
If you skipped getting the Booster v0.8, you can now find the Tow Rope. Head
past the shutters to a large, open room. Before you talk to Curly, go all the
way to the end of the room and fall down into the lowest area. You'll see some
sparkles, so head over to it to find the Tow Rope. This item is essential if
you want to rescue Curly and unlock Sacred Ground.
NOTE: If you received the Booster v0.8 from Prof. Booster earlier in the
Labyrinth, the Tow Rope will not show up at all, meaning it's
impossible for you to save Curly.
Now go and talk to Curly again. A cut scene will ensue, and you'll be thrust
into a boss fight with a lovely bunch of coconuts.
.--------------.
( Boss: The Core )=============================================================
'=============='
First off, note the kick-ass boss music. The Core, although not as difficult as
Monster X, proves to be a challenging fight. There will be a lot happening on
screen at once, so the main thing is to not get distracted by the chaos and
lose focus. If you have some form of propulsion, this fight will be a whole lot
easier. A while after the battle has started, Curly will awaken and assist you,
but don't rely on her - she won't do much.
( Attacks )
The main Core is surrounded by several smaller versions of itself. At the start
of the battle, the main core will be inactive, and only the mini cores will
attack you. The mini cores can't be destroyed, but can be pushed back with
repeated fire. They'll fire moderately slow-moving spinning projectiles at you,
aimed at your location. Either jump over them or destroy them with the Polar
Star or one of its upgrades (the Snake performs exceptionally well for this
task). As long as you are careful here, you won't get hit.
After a while, the mini cores will stop shooting, which is a signal that the
main core will become active. When this happens, blue eyes will appear on the
main core, and in addition to the spinning projectiles of the mini cores, you
will now have to deal with horizontal-moving Snake-like shots from the main
core. They don't pose as much of a threat as the spinner shots, so just watch
out for them and don't let go of the trigger. After taking some damage, the
main core will turn dormant again, repeating the cycle.
Occasionally, the Core will flood the entire room with water. Don't panic when
this happens - the water will recede long before you drown (unless you were
already in the water when this happens, in which case you might run out of air
before the water level drops). A bigger issue here is the severe decrease in
mobility. Be extra cautious of projectiles when you're in water.
When the Core's health starts getting low, the next time it activates it will
create a strong current that will blow you backwards against the wall. Then it
will shoot three giant balls of energy at your position. These things hurt like
hell: a whopping -20 damage, so avoid them at all costs. It's also tricky to
dodge them since the current will hamper your movement, but if you start at a
low point and keep climbing upwards when the shots are being fired you can
avoid them without much effort.
( Strategy )
The only time you can damage the main core is when it's active (when its eyes
are open). When it's dormant, keep out your Polar Star or upgraded weapon, and
shoot/dodge the spinner shots that the mini cores fire at you. When the main
core finally activates, first use the Polar Star/variant to push back any mini
cores that are directly in front of the main core.
After the main core is exposed, switch to the Super Missiles (hopefully at
level 3) and unleash the destruction. Stop shooting when the main core becomes
dormant again. Once you run out of missiles, switch to the Blade and do the
same thing (except you'll need to get closer in order for the Blade to hit).
You'll most likely get damaged in this fight, but you should be able to take
down the Core with most of your health intact.
===============================================================================
______
[ Core ]
This is one of the most dramatic moments in the game, so I won't spoil it too
much. After the cut scene, the room will be flooded with water. You can't do
anything else, so just sit there and watch as your air supply slowly dwindles
down to 0. You'll suddenly wake up, though - Curly has given you her air tank,
and is now unconscious. The Tow Rope will be gone by now if you didn't take it,
so you have no other options but to leave her to die. If you do have the Tow
Rope, you can strap her to your back and take her along with you.
Once you pick up (or leave) Curly, exit through the shutter door, which is now
open. Since you now have Curly's Air Tank, you can stay underwater for an
indefinite period of time. The shutters will close behind you, so make your way
left to the door.
____________
[ Dark Place ]
Thankfully the save point is now on the floor, so save and enter the tiger head
structure that was previously blocked.
========================
| Waterway [sect107] |XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
------------------------
_________ _______
( Weapons )========( Items )=============.
| | |
| Spur* | Alien Medal* |
'__________ | Booster v2.0 |
( Upgrades )=======| Whimsical Star* |
| | |
| -none- | |
| | |
'----------------------------------------'
* = optional
__________
[ Waterway ]
You are now in the island's waterway system. Head left and take out the
Critters (they're similar to the flying kind found in Grasstown) and bats to
restore any health, weapon exp., or missiles you lost during the previous boss
fight. Keep going right and jump over the spikes. Soon you'll reach a section
where the water is flowing at a fast pace. Enter the current and let it carry
you away. If you get stuck in a loop, just jump to break out of it.
Soon the current will deposit you in a large, turbulent room filled with tons
of jellyfish. Take out as many as you can before entering the current again to
minimize the chances of hitting one of them. The current will take you in a
zigzag pattern to an exit at the top right corner. If you want to save Curly,
make sure you jump out of the water into the alcove with the door. If you miss
it, you'll have to reset. Kill the lone bat and enter the door.
________________
[ Waterway Cabin ]
There's a save point here, but that's not the main reason why this cabin is so
important. First, take a rest on the bed. When you wake up, Curly will be lying
on it, still unconscious. Next, check the computer and it will tell you of a
certain notebook... just where might that be? Check to bookshelf to find the
notebook, which conveniently describes how to drain water from a robot. Talk to
Curly again and drain the water from her. She'll wake up for a few seconds then
fall back asleep. Talk to her twice more, and when you're asked whether or not
to leave her here, select "No". You'll pick Curly up again. You're all done
here, so save and head out.
__________
[ Waterway ]
Jump in the current and take it downwards. You'll actually have to jump over
the spikes here, and if you get damaged you can just reset. Jump over the first
three sets of spikes (for the last one you have to jump immediately before you
hit the first spike to make it all the way through). You'll reach calm water,
so drop down where you'll find another current. From the platform above the
current, jump off the left side to avoid getting damaged by the spikes. From
there you'll run another spike gauntlet. At the end, you'll clear the
Waterways, however...
"Something's approaching!"
.--------------.
( Boss: Ironhead )=============================================================
'=============='
This ironclad fish is actually a character from Pixel's previous game, Ikachan.
He's not a really difficult boss, so you should have no troubles with him.
Also, notice the unique controls in this battle - you can move easily in any
direction, but you are only allowed to face (and fire) forward.
( Attacks )
By himself, Ironhead really only has one attack: first he'll emerge from behind
you and swim forward to the opposite screen. Then he'll make the return trip
back, but this time he'll fire three red shockwaves at you (similar to the ones
that those Mannans from Grasstown fire). However, the danger in this battle is
compounded by a multitude of floating blocks that will hurt you if you bump
into them. They're also kinda hard to see at some points, which is a pain. As a
last form of obstacle, schools of pufferfish (also from Ikachan) will swim in
from behind you whenever Ironhead re-enters from either side of the screen.
When they're not puffed up, they're harmless, so use this time to destroy as
many of them as you can. As the reach the right edge of the screen, they'll
inflate and puff out their spikes, an obvious sign that they can now hurt you.
They can still be destroyed at this point, though.
( Strategy )
The most effective strategy that I've found for this fight is to keep the
level 3 Blade out at all times. Not only is it perfect for destroying the
groups of pufferfish, but you can also hit Ironhead 2 to 3 times when he moves
backwards (it's difficult to hit him while he's travelling forwards). Just keep
using the Blade and Ironhead will go down easily.
After the fight, Curly will get separated from you. If you didn't drain the
water from her, a text box will notify you that her life functions have ceased.
= Easter Egg =
If you took no damage during this fight, a swarm of squids (again from Ikachan)
will fill the screen. Afterwards, if you check your inventory you'll find the
Alien Medal.
===============================================================================
___________
[ Reservoir ]
Finally, a place we recognize! Head on out to Mimiga Village.
________________
[ Mimiga Village ]
It's quiet...
Make your way down to Arthur's House and enter.
________________
[ Arthur's House ]
Save and heal here. If you didn't get the Booster v0.8, your patience shall now
be rewarded. As you near the teleporter, Professor Booster will pop out and
give you the Booster v2.0. With this Booster, you can now freely boost in any
direction. When you're in the air, pressing Jump again will allow you to boost
upwards; if you're pressing any directional key when you start boosting, you'll
boost in that direction. As with the Booster v0.8, you must go to your items
menu to equip it.
At this point, if you already traded your Polar Star for something else, feel
free to skip the rest of this section and continue reading at "Egg Corridor?".
If you managed to keep your trusty Polar Star this far, then keep reading.
________________
[ Mimiga Village ]
Boost your way to the platform outside the Reservoir. Above you is a string of
platforms, so boost your way up to the very top of Mimiga Village to find a
door. Enter it.
____________
[ First Cave ]
Remember this place? It's still the same as when you left it, so make your way
to the left (save at the Start Point if you want). Keep following the path to
reach the Hermit Gunsmith, the person whom you "borrowed" the Polar Star from.
_________________
[ Hermit Gunsmith ]
Looks like he's awake now, and he's pretty pissed that someone stole his gun.
Suddenly he notices your Polar Star and grabs it back. He'll then go through a
change of heart and give you back the Polar Star... after he finishes it, of
course.
Congratulations, you just got the Spur, one of the best weapons in the game!
The Spur levels up differently from other weapons: it can't gain exp. from
normal crystals, but instead charges up by holding down the Fire button. At MAX
charge the weapon fires a giant laser that deals a tremendous amount of damage.
Now that you've got the Spur, head back out.
____________
[ First Cave ]
There are now a lot more enemies here, a perfect time to try out your Spur.
Make your way back to the exit.
________________
[ Mimiga Village ]
Jump down and head to Arthur's House.
________________
[ Arthur's House ]
Now that you have the Spur, you can acquire a peripheral item to complement it.
Enter the teleporter and select the Labyrinth as your destination.
_____________
[ Labyrinth B ]
This is the place where Professor Booster fell. Make your way up and enter the
door on the left.
_____________
[ Labyrinth W ]
Ugh, there are now Armor Gaudis in this corridor. Fortunately these ones should
be easier to take down than the ones in Labyrinth M since there aren't any
platforms where they can snipe you from. Between the Booster and the Spur, you
can dispatch them fairly quickly. Head left, past the Camp area, and arrive at
the Labyrinth Shop.
________________
[ Labyrinth Shop ]
Talk to Chaba, the Gaudi behind the counter, and he'll give you the Whimsical
Star. This item surrounds you with tiny green stars that can damage enemies if
they touch them. You can get a maximum of 3 stars to surround you by charging
up the Spur to MAX, but you'll lose stars by taking damage. This thing isn't
really all that useful, to be honest, since it only does 1 damage per hit and
moves haphazardly. Exit the shop.
_____________
[ Labyrinth W ]
Make your way back to Labyrinth B.
_____________
[ Labyrinth B ]
Take the teleporter back to Arthur's House.
________________
[ Arthur's House ]
Save and heal, then prepare to go to Egg Corridor.
===============================
| Egg Corridor(?) [sect108] |XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
-------------------------------
_________ _______
( Weapons )========( Items )=============.
| | |
| -none- | |
'__________ | |
( Upgrades )=======| -none- |
| | |
| Missile Expn x2 | |
| | |
'----------------------------------------'
_______________
[ Egg Corridor? ]
Is this really Egg Corridor? What the hell happened here? The walls are
crumbled, the eggs are smashed, and debris is everywhere. If you talk to the
robot near the entrance he'll tell you that there was a "huge explosion". Huh.
Make your way right, killing the critters and bugs. The large bugs now shoot
two energy balls at you instead of one, although they're still a minor threat.
When too many bugs appear, drop down below and hide in the corridor previously
inhabited by the white shockwave of death.
Soon you'll meet some new enemies, the zombies of dragons that failed to hatch
properly. Their flames do a surprising amount of damage, so avoid them at all
costs. They can be killed rather easily with a fully-charged Spur. The Snake is
also useful here as you can hurt them from places where they can't reach you.
You'll use the Booster a lot here.
As you reach where Egg No. 12 used to be, kill the zombie dragon guarding the
chest and open it to get a Missile Expansion. Head back up top and watch out
for falling stalactites (the large ones become embedded on the ground and takes
a lot of hits to destroy). Make your way to Cthulhu's Abode.
__________________
[ Cthulhu's Abode? ]
Looks like the Cthulhu has gone (or died), and the whole place turned into a
big spike trap. Make your way up and watch out for the Presses. Exit through
the door up top.
_______________
[ Egg Corridor? ]
Again, keep an eye out for stalactites. A bit to the right are two dragon
zombies, so kill them to move forward.
A bit past that part, you'll see a yellow-green floating gaseous entity. If you
shoot it or approach it, it will activate a countdown timer, where once it hits
zero the thing will explode. The explosion has quite a large radius, so stay
far away when it happens. It's possible to destroy the gas blob before it hits
zero, in which case no explosion will occur.
Continue heading right and killing all the monsters. At Egg No. 05, you'll have
to follow the narrow winding path downwards. Stalactites will be falling on you
all the way through, so don't stop until you reach a safe spot. After that,
head up, kill the zombie dragon, and enter the Egg Observation Room through the
broken window.
_______________________
[ Egg Observation Room? ]
Jump onto the central platform and open the chest for a Missile Expansion.
You'll be ambushed by a pair of dragons.
NOTE: It's actually possible to skip this fight entirely if you don't open the
chest and just head out the right window. Of course, you will be missing
out on a Missile Expansion, plus the fight itself isn't too hard. You
also get a save point if you defeat them.
.-----------------.
( Boss: The Sisters )==========================================================
'================='
This fight really isn't all that difficult, since both dragons share the same
health bar. You shouldn't have any problems with it as long as you avoid
getting hit.
( Attacks )
The Sisters will circle around the central platform. When one of them opens its
mouth, it's a sign that it's about to spew fire at you. The fire is actually
destroyable, so use a quick weapon to take care of any fires. This attack can
be avoided completely if you shoot them as they open their mouths, and they'll
be stunned for a short while and cancel the attack.
At low health, the Sisters will open their mouths simultaneously, and this time
they won't flinch if you shoot at them. They'll then spew lots of fire at you.
Again, shoot the fire to destroy them. The fire is just about their only
attack, so it shouldn't be hard to predict their moves.
( Strategy )
Stand on the central platform. The Sisters are impervious to damage at first,
so wait for them to start attacking you. Once you see one of them with an open
mouth, shoot it if it's within range. The shot will stun it for a few seconds,
giving you time to continue dealing damage (they still take damage when they're
stunned). This fight is so trivial that only the Polar Star upgrade is needed.
After you're done, save and head out through the broken window on the right.
It's a bit hard to see, but it's there, so look carefully and you'll find it.
===============================================================================
_______________
[ Egg Corridor? ]
A stalactite will drop on you immediately after you enter, so watch out for it.
Continue right, avoiding the spikes and killing the enemies. Soon you'll reach
the end of Egg Corridor. Enter the Side Room first (the door on the right, if
you can't remember).
___________
[ Side Room ]
No question mark after the name? Madness! Save and heal, then exit.
_______________
[ Egg Corridor? ]
Now enter the other door, the one which contained Egg No. 00.
____________
[ Egg No. 00 ]
Go examine the computer. Words light up on the screen:
"HATCH SUCCESSFUL"
Now, an important cut scene will occur. This is the point in the game where you
can choose either to get the bad ending or the good/great endings; I'm sure you
can figure out which is which by yourselves. I recommend seeing the bad ending
at least once. Once the cut scene ends, exit through the newly-opened door.
==========================
| Outer Wall [sect109] |XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
--------------------------
_________ _______
( Weapons )========( Items )=============.
| | |
| -none- | Nikumaru Counter* |
'__________ | |
( Upgrades )=======| |
| | |
| -none- | |
| | |
'----------------------------------------'
* = optional
____________
[ Outer Wall ]
I always get chills whenever I enter this area. Note that even if you chose to
escape, you will still be able to continue onward if you don't talk to Kazuma.
You might have noticed that seemingly inaccessible door underneath the platform
you're standing on. We're going to go there first before we do anything else.
It's recommended that you save right now since you might screw up and fall the
first time.
From the very edge of the platform, jump down and quickly boost to the left
into the narrow space. If you fall, you'll die and will have to start over
again. As you walk along the corridor, watch out for that single gap in the
floor. You'll reach the door, so enter it.
______________
[ Little House ]
The room seems to be...empty? At second glance, you'll see two tiny figures
pacing the room. It's Mrs. Little and her son. Talk to Mrs. Little to learn
that her husband has been away from home for a long time. There's nothing else
you can do here, so go back out.
____________
[ Outer Wall ]
Boost back onto the main platform. If you're wondering where to go now, why not
check the map? It's a long way to climb, but with the Booster it's a piece of
cake.
Start climbing the platforms upwards. If you're still not familiar with the
Booster, it's alright to just climb one platform at a time. Soon you'll meet
two types of monsters here - one is called Hoppy, those tiny yellow creatures
who jump at you. Hoppies are pretty easy to take down, and they're quite
predictable.
The other monster, the Night Spirit, poses more of a challenge. Night Spirits
are white ghost-like creatures who shoot out a bunch of white, tadpole-shaped
projectiles...er, balloons! Yeah, that's right, balloons...>__> Anyway, the
balloons only deal moderate damage, but they become more dangerous when you
realize that they aren't destroyable. A Night Spirit also takes a lot of hits
to kill.
When you go up a bit, you'll notice one of the protruding blocks has an image
of a clock carved onto it. Follow the thin rope it's attached to, all the way
to the left end of the crevasse. You'll see a small opening at the end, where
there's a short bit of railing. It's actually a door, so enter it.
____________
[ Clock Room ]
If you didn't acquire the Booster v2.0 and rescue and drain the water from
Curly in the Waterway, the chest here won't open. Otherwise, you'll receive the
Nikumaru Counter. This item isn't actually necessary for you to enter Sacred
Ground, but it will record your best runthrough time so you can brag to your
friends (or get different title screens). Anyway, there's nothing more of
interest here, so head back out.
____________
[ Outer Wall ]
Continue heading up and killing the Hoppies and Night Spirits. As you boost
past that long horizontal barrier, you'll see some sand pits. Avoid them at all
costs, since Sandcrocs reside here. Tread carefully.
After you get past the sand section, there will be another jumble of platforms
you'll need to navigate, but that shouldn't prove to be too difficult at this
point. Near the top of Outer Wall you'll be assaulted by multiple Hoppies as
well as two Night Spirits. After you have successfully killed or avoided them,
boost up to the tunnel and enter the door.
==========================
| Plantation [sect110] |XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
--------------------------
_________ _______
( Weapons )========( Items )=============.
| | |
| Nemesis* | Teleporter Room Key |
| | Sue's Letter |
| | Mimiga Mask |
'__________ | Broken Sprinkler |
( Upgrades )=======| Sprinkler |
| | Controller |
| Life Capsule x2 | Little Man* |
| | Ma Pignon* |
| | Iron Bond* |
| | |
'----------------------------------------'
* = optional
____________
[ Storehouse ]
After you talk to the Mimiga and save, head out the other door to Plantation.
____________
[ Plantation ]
Although this area is big, the enemies here are pathetic, and everything that
happens here are primarily plot elements. As soon as you enter, boost upwards
to reach a door.
__________
[ Passage? ]
Seems like the door on the bottom is blocked off... head to the opposite door
for now.
________________
[ Statue Chamber ]
This room contains statues of all the former possessors of the Demon Crown. A
carver by the name of Numahachi is creating a fourth statue, which by the looks
of it is the Doctor. There's nothing you can do here (at least for now), so
head back out.
__________
[ Passage? ]
Back to Plantation we go.
____________
[ Plantation ]
Now drop down to the bridge and head right. You'll see a group of bats
surrounding a mother bat, called Orange Bell for some reason. The mother bat
doesn't do anything, and the bats still have the same old tricks. Destroy them
or run past them, and watch out for gaps in the bridge.
As you walk past the tall barrier, you'll see a door. It's inaccessible right
now, so ignore it. Above you is an orange creature who appears to be kin to
Numahachi. These are called Drolls, and they won't attack you unless you
attack them, so you can just jump over them if you wish. When provoked, they'll
throw a spinning projectile at you, but it's pretty easy to dodge.
Head past the Droll to find a field of fertile soil where Mimigas are growing
something. You can't get any information off of the Mimigas for now, so
continue left. Those happy little peas that you see running around don't pose
much danger, and can be destroyed rather quickly and easily. Keep going left
until you see a door in an alcove. Kill the pea guarding it and enter.
___________
[ Rest Area ]
Hey, isn't that the fishing Mimiga from Mimiga Village? Talk to him and he'll
head out the door. None of the other Mimigas in here are willing to talk to
you, so head back outside.
____________
[ Plantation ]
Jump onto the upper ledge and continue going left. Once you reach the very left
edge of Plantation, continue climbing upwards. You'll see a door which will
lead to Jail No. 2, but all it has is a teleporter that leads to the one in the
Shelter, in Grasstown. It's worth a visit, though, to check out the best quote
in the game, spoken by one of the inmates.
Continue upwards and soon green mosquito-like creatures will swarm you. They're
fast but fragile, so you can kill a bunch of them with the level 3 Blade. When
you reach the top left corner of Plantation, you'll find another Life Capsule.
Now drop down and head all the way back to eastern Plantation.
Near the entrance to the Storehouse, drop down below the bridge and you'll see
a narrow shaft. Follow it downwards, and if you've rescued Curly from the
Waterway, she will be here, along with a Cthulhu native. Don't rejoice too
soon, however, as Curly's developed amnesia and doesn't remember who you are.
Talk to the Cthulhu again and will mention something about a special mushroom
that can restore memories... hm. Anyways, boost out of the shaft and continue
left.
You'll soon encounter a large lake. There are Gunfish in the waters here, who
spit bubbles at you. They're easily destroyed. There are also more of those
annoying mosquitoes here, so take care of them quickly.
Continue left, staying out of the water. Soon you'll find the fishing Mimiga
attempting to catch something (there are Gunfish all over the place, why
doesn't he cast his line there?). Talk to him and he'll mention something about
a weird item he fished up. Check in the bucket next to him to find the
Teleporter Room Key. With the key in hand, continue left past the Mimiga to
reach a door. Open it with the key you just found.
____________
[ Teleporter ]
A Droll stands between you and the teleporter, but he can't be damaged, and he
doesn't say anything if you talk to him... walk past him and hop into the
teleporter. You'll be telepor-
"KILLER ROBOT!"
...
...
Well, ****.
____________
[ Jail No. 1 ]
You awaken inside a jail cell, whose only other inhabitant seems awfully
familiar... indeed, it's that fat Mimiga who was constantly eating back in
Mimiga Village. He'll tell you that Sue was here, and she crammed something
into your pocket. Talk to him some more until he starts repeating lines. Right
now is a good time to open your inventory and check Sue's Letter. Read it to
the very end, then save and exit through the secret passageway. Head out the
door at the end.
____________
[ Plantation ]
Jump down all the way to the main level where the Red Flowers are being
cultivated. Now that you have the password, you can access that previously
inaccessible door. Find it (keep heading right, it's near the center of the
Plantation map) and drop into that little alcove right above it. There's
actually a secret passageway hidden among the gray-colored blocks. It's not
that difficult to find, and once you find it follow it to the door. It'll ask
you for a password, which Sue conveniently gave you in her letter.
_________
[ Hideout ]
Talk to the woman here, and she'll introduce her as Momorin Sakamoto, Sue's
mother. She's currently building a rocket that will go up to the Throne Room,
but she's lacking a few parts to complete it. When she spies your Booster,
she'll take it away from you (:sadface:). In return, though, she'll let you
borrow her Mimiga Mask. She'll then ask you to bring back a Sprinkler. Save
here, then head back out.
____________
[ Plantation ]
Now that you have the Mimiga Mask, the Mimiga workers will talk to you. Head
all the way to the left end of the Plantation and talk to the leftmost Mimiga.
He'll ask you (well, not exactly) to take the broken sprinkler and exchange it
for a new one. Head over to the broken sprinkler (it's the one that's not
spewing water) and grab it.
Now that you have a Broken Sprinkler, you need to exchange it for a new one, so
head to the Rest Area.
___________
[ Rest Area ]
Talk to the Mimiga with the shades and he'll exchange the Broken Sprinkler for
a (working) Sprinkler. Hoorah. Now head back out to Plantation.
____________
[ Plantation ]
Head right to the Hideout.
_________
[ Hideout ]
Give the Sprinkler to Mrs. Sakamoto, and now she'll ask you to find Itoh. If
you don't remember, he's the engineer-turned-Mimiga hiding in the Storehouse.
Save and exit.
____________
[ Plantation ]
Go right this time, away from the Mimiga workers. Head across the bridge and
enter the Storehouse.
____________
[ Storehouse ]
Talk to Itoh, and he'll give you the Controller. This is the last rocket part
that Mrs. Sakamoto will need. Head back to Plantation.
____________
[ Plantation ]
Go back to the Hideout.
_________
[ Hideout ]
Give Mrs. Sakamoto the Controller, and she suggests you take a nap on the bed.
Do so, and you'll awaken from a long sleep to find both Mrs. Sakamoto and the
rocket gone. Save and head back up.
____________
[ Plantation ]
Mrs. Sakamoto is up on top, along with Itoh and the rocket. Talk to her to get
your Booster back (you need to re-equip it), while she takes back the Mimiga
Mask. Now hop on top of the rocket and press Down. Flip the switch and the
rocket will lift off. Be prepare to jump off, however, as soon as you see a dog
standing on a platform. Go talk to it, and it'll give you a Life Capsule.
At this point, if you're only aiming for the normal ending, take the rocket up
again to the very top of Plantation and skip ahead to the section titled Last
Cave. If you want to gain access to Sacred Ground, or acquire a powerful
weapon, there are a few things we need to do first.
If you haven't done so yet (or can't remember), go back to where Curly is
resting and talk to her, then to the Cthulhu native next to her. Make sure he
mentions a mushroom that can cure amnesia.
Travel all the way to the Teleporter room where you got smashed by that Droll.
It's at the end of the bottom lake section, if you forgot.
____________
[ Teleporter ]
The Droll is gone now, so take the teleporter to Arthur's House.
________________
[ Arthur's House ]
Save and head out to Mimiga Village.
________________
[ Mimiga Village ]
Make your way to the upper level of the village and travel to the Graveyard.
___________
[ Graveyard ]
There are two things you need to do here. First off, check the ground carefully
for a tiny man, similar in appearance to the little people living in Outer
Wall. He should be around where the knife-wielding creature is. He's wearing a
green shirt as well, so he's difficult to spot. Once you locate him, talk to
him and he'll be put in your inventory. You'll need to get him home later.
Now go to the top-right corner of the Graveyard, where you'll see the door that
was previously inaccessible to you. Now that you have the booster, you can
easily reach that door.
_________
[ Storage ]
A single blue mushroom resides here. If he does nothing after you talk to him,
you either didn't rescue Curly from the Waterway, or you forgot to talk to the
Cthulhu next to where Curly is resting in Plantation (make sure he mentions a
type of mushroom that can restore memories).
Anyways, after a bit of dialogue, he'll offer you the Mushroom Badge, but he
seems reluctant to give it to you. Keep answering his questions appropriately
(yes no yes yes no) until you finally receive it. Now check the badge in your
inventory, where you'll find that it's actually completely useless. Talk to the
mushroom again, and he'll attack you.
.---------------.
( Boss: Ma Pignon )============================================================
'==============='
Is this some sort of a joke? Actually, despite its appearance, Ma Pignon can
deal a lot of damage before going down, although he's still only considered a
miniboss of sorts.
( Attacks )
The purple mushroom will start by jumping around a lot. Contact damage is very
light, so don't even worry about bumping into it. After a few hops, it will
grin and turn white, then drive into the opposite wall. When he's white he's
invincible, but his dash is easily avoided just by jumping. After Ma Pignon
slams into the wall, tons of boulders will drop from the ceiling. Quickly find
a safe spot - the boulders deal heavy damage, and they're surprisingly
difficult to predict and avoid.
After a few rounds of this, Ma Pignon will run into the center of the room and
jump into the ceiling. Afterwards, a bunch of Ma Pignon clones will fall out of
the roof. The fake ones are killed in one hit, so finding the real boss isn't
all that difficult. The main thing to watch out for in this battle is the
falling boulders, so if you're careful with them the rest of the match is a
breeze.
( Strategy )
Just shoot at it with any weapon you have. If you can, try to synchronize your
shots with the mushroom's jumps so you can deal more damage. Avoid it when it's
invincible and watch out for its attacks, and pretty soon you'll have it won.
Not too difficult at all.
After the fight, Ma Pignon will appear as an item in your inventory.
===============================================================================
_________
[ Storage ]
Head out to the Graveyard.
___________
[ Graveyard ]
Make your way back to Mimiga Village.
________________
[ Mimiga Village ]
You're done here, so now go to Arthur's House.
________________
[ Arthur's House ]
Save, heal, and take the teleporter to Plantation.
____________
[ Teleporter ]
Tired of these useless one-liner instructions yet? Head out to Plantation.
____________
[ Plantation ]
From the outset, jump into the water (watch out for those spikes). As you walk
across the bottom of the lake, you'll see an opening of a pipe system. Jump
into the pipe and it will transport you all the way to the other side of the
lake. From here, it's only a few paces to where Curly is. Once you reach her,
talk to her and feed her the Ma Pignon. She'll remember everything (including
your actual name, apparently). Talk to her again to receive the Iron Bond, a
necessary item to gain access to Sacred Ground.
There is one last side quest left, and it's entirely optional. If you're not
interested in trading away your Blade for a new weapon, the Nemesis, then head
over to where the rocket is, take it up to the top of Plantation, and skip
ahead to the section "Last Cave". If you do plan on getting the Nemesis, then
read on.
Head over to the Storehouse, where Itoh used to be.
____________
[ Storehouse ]
Save if you wish, then take the door to Outer Wall.
____________
[ Outer Wall ]
Traveling down Outer Wall is a breeze. Just find a spot away from the Hoppies
and jump down. Don't worry about falling to your death - if you keep holding
Left as you descend, you'll make it onto the bottom platform. From there, jump
down and boost into the gap below the platform to reach the Little House again.
______________
[ Little House ]
Now that the Little Man is home, talk to him and he'll offer you his "fabulous
gun" for your Blade. Personally, I would do the trade, as the Nemesis proves to
be a lot more useful than the Blade in Sacred Ground (plus if you don't trade
then you'll have completed the side quest for nothing). Once you've decided, go
back to Outer Wall.
____________
[ Outer Wall ]
Time to make your ascent again. It shouldn't be any different from the last
time you climbed the wall. At the top, return to the Storehouse.
____________
[ Storehouse ]
Exit through the other door to Plantation.
____________
[ Plantation ]
Time for an inventory check. You should have a max of 50 health, and a maximum
stockpile of 30 missiles. If not, I suggest you consult the Power-ups section
to locate the ones you missed. Once you've taken care of that, ride the rocket
up, past the column of killer robots, to the very top of Plantation. Save and
enter the Last Cave.
=========================
| Last Cave [sect111] |XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
-------------------------
Note: Before we start, let me explain how Last Cave works. If you got the
Booster v0.8 (meaning you didn't get the better v2.0 Booster) or kept the
Mimiga Mask, you'll enter the standard Last Cave, which, although more
challenging than any area you've been to thus far, is a walk in the park
compared to the hidden version, which you will enter if you have the
Booster v2.0. The first part of this section will cover the regular Last
Cave, while the second part will go in-depth with the hidden version.
_________ _______
( Weapons )========( Items )=============.
| | |
| -none- | Clay Figure Medal* |
'__________ | |
( Upgrades )=======| |
| | |
| -none- | |
| | |
'----------------------------------------'
* = optional
___________
[ Last Cave ]
As soon as you enter, you'll see three red-colored Critters and a red-colored
liquid (blood?) dripping from the ceiling. The red Critters behave similar to
the Critters in First Cave and Egg Corridor, except they're faster, stronger,
and have better eyesight. Approach carefully and kill them quickly. The liquid
also hurts you slightly if you touch it, but it's relatively easy to avoid.
Past the beginning section are some spikes and more Critters. Take them out at
long range whenever possible, and then make your way carefully across the
spike pits. You'll soon enter an area where tons of blood drips down. This part
is infested with Critters, so the best strategy here is to stand at a safe spot
between two blood drips and take the Critters out before they start hopping.
The Snake is very useful here. When you finally make it to the other side,
climb upwards to the second level.
Jump or boost up the shaft while avoiding the spikes. You'll now be in a room
with lava-filled floors. As you may have predicted, touching the lava will hurt
you. Red bats will also be flying around. They're annoying but do have
predictable patterns, so just ignore them unless they're in your way.
Navigate between the maze of hanging platforms while avoiding the spikes, bats,
and lava. After you clear the platforms, jump across the lava pools. You'll
find another spike-filled maze, but fortunately it isn't as hard to traverse as
the previous one, given the absence of lava. After that part, you're home free,
at least for now. Make your way to the end of the floor and jump up while
avoiding the bats.
This section will have you moving upwards diagonally, requiring you to perform
well-timed jumps and boosts. First climb up the first few "steps", avoiding the
blood drips. Critters are hiding among the spikes in the next area. You'll also
see a couple of deep spike traps, which you should avoid if you have the
Booster. After a series of these pits, you'll round a corner again and come
upon the home stretch.
NOTE: If you have the Mimiga Mask, the pits have hidden fans at the bottom
that will propel you upwards. Use the momentum from the first fan to
clear the spike wall. Whenever a wall is too high to jump up on, just
fall into a pit nearby and let the current push you up (hold down the
Jump button to fly higher).
The main danger in the last corridor are the Presses. If you get crushed,
you'll die automatically and will have to go through Last Cave all over again.
Now, there are two ways to go through this corridor. The first way is to macho
it through by running ahead of the Presses Indana Jones-style, killing any
Critters in your way. Whatever you do, never stop running, since bumping into a
Critter for some damage will also gain you invinciblity for a short time to
recover.
If you're not enough of a man, however, you can opt for the much safer method
by just killing all the Presses before they drop. There are a myriad of ways to
do this: you can bait the first press into falling, kill it, then easily take
care of the rest in that row. You can use the Snake to kill the first one and
then the others You can even use the Whimsical Star if you want. There are tons
of methods to get rid of the Presses, and since half the emails I get are
strategies for this particular section, I'm just going to tell you to find what
works for you and stick with it.
Either way, you should clear the gauntlet with little problem. Watch out for
the last Critter hiding inside the pool of lava near the door.
You have survived Last Cave! Exit through the door and skip to the next section
titled "Endgame".
____________________
[ Last Cave (Hidden) ]
If you've gone through the regular Last Cave before, you're more than ready for
this challenge. I mean, come on, how much harder can this be, seriousl-
"All weapons dropped to level 1!"
...
Aw shit. This is bad.
If you don't have either the Spur or the Nemesis, I feel sorry for you. Really.
Without either, the Blade is the preferred weapon for this area, since it can
one-shot the Critters at level 1. The Spur is definitely the weapon of choice
here, since it's unaffected by the level drop and also boasts excellent range
and power. The Nemesis is also a good choice, given it's the strongest at
level 1, but you'll have to constantly watch out for crystals that the Critters
drop, which makes it harder to handle than the Spur.
As you enter, you'll see the same dangers as before: Red Critters, which are
stronger and faster than regular Critters, and blood drips, which will hurt you
if a droplet falls on you. The beginning seems quite easy; don't let it fool
you, though. Kill the Critters and avoid the single blood drip, and make your
way past the water. Kill the Critters here (make sure you don't engage them
while underwater, since your movement will then be hampered), then continue
right.
Here you will see just one example why only those with the Booster v2.0 can
access this place - there will be a corridor with lava at the bottom and spikes
at the top. You'll need to boost your way to the right, through the narrow
space. Do not let go of the boost until you safely reach the platform on the
other side.
As soon as you land, a group of Critters will ambush you at all sides, so take
them out quickly to avoid any serious damage. Now boost over the second lava
pit and take out the Critter in the lava as well as the four stationed on the
far platform if you can (both the Nemesis and Spur can reach all four). Boost
past the next lava pit and between the spikes.
What's this, a weapons energy capsule? Break it open with your main weapon
(Machine Gun or Snake, if you have the Spur then it's not important). As you
head right, watch out for Critters hiding in the lava. There's another energy
capsule in an alcove here, but I wouldn't recommend getting it unless you are
exceptionally skilled with the Booster. Anyways, cross the lava and boost up
the shaft, collecting the health refills as you go.
You're now on the second level, and things only get harder from here. As with
the regular Last Cave, red bats will be flying towards you, and you'll have to
navigate a maze of spike-filled platforms while avoiding the lava pit at the
bottom. The good news is that there are a few energy capsules here. Start by
boosting upwards over the first wall, then drop straight down. Kill the Critter
and head right to the capsule if you wish. Next, head left along the bottom and
collect the hearts to refill your health. There are two capsules at the top of
the room if you want to get them; they're both relatively easy to reach.
Continue left and boost over the lava pits. You'll reach another spikey area.
Boost upwards, then boost left in mid-air, and finally drop down onto a safe
spot. Make sure you wait for the bats to pass before you make your attempt.
Next, you'll have to cross a lava pit then immediately boost upwards. There are
some health refills here, as well as an energy capsule, although it's likely
you'll run into spikes if you're not skilled enough. Head down and into the
water. You've cleared the second level, good job.
I hope by now you've mastered, or at least gotten the hang of changing the
direction of your boost in mid-air, because you're gonna perform that a lot in
the next section. Boost upwards and you'll see the first obstacle. Seems
impossible, no? Jump (not boost) over the spikes and into the shaft with lava
in it. Immediately boost upwards, and when you reach the opening to the right,
change directions and boost through the spikes. The next boost area is easier;
just boost straight into the opposite wall, then upwards to reach the ledge.
Now you'll have to boost down into a narrow shaft. Jump up and boost to get the
heart, then boost straight down when you're directly over the opening. Be sure
to save some boost to enter the opening on the side of the shaft, or else
you're gonna fall on some spikes.
Boost up the next shaft, climb over the wall and drop down. Boost between the
spike rows, then boost up. There is no safety platform in the next gulch, so
drop down and boost right before you hit the lava. Change directions and boost
upwards once you reach the opening. You'll find another energy capsule here.
Now fly right between the spikes and land on the central safe platform in the
spike-covered shaft. Kill the two Critters in the spikes, then boost up.
There's another Critter waiting for you up top, so shoot upwards while boosting
to kill it. There is a final energy capsule here. Head right and enter the room
where a red Droll-like creature awaits.
.---------------.
( Boss: Red Demon )============================================================
'==============='
This strange creature is only present in the Hidden version of Last Cave. By
itself it isn't very difficult, but since you just traversed a major portion of
Last Cave, you might be low on health, making this fight all the more intense.
( Attacks )
The Red Demon's attack pattern is quite simple, and once you understand it, you
should have no problem dodging it. The creature's main attack is to throw
projectiles at you, which are similar to the ones the Drolls in Plantation
throw. First, he'll stand on the ground and throw three projectiles at you,
then jump in the air and throw three more, and that's it. He'll continue the
same pattern no matter how much damage he takes.
( Strategy )
Since the Red Demon basically only has one attack, it is quite easy to develop
a foolproof strategy. First off, note the little bump on the ground in the
middle of the room. The three projectiles he fires while on the ground can't
even hit you if you're on the other side of that bump, so just stand there to
avoid that attack (also due to the bump, you can only shoot him with the Snake
from where you're standing). Next, when he jumps up, boost sideways underneath
him to avoid his projectiles. When you're not dodging, continue to shoot him
with whatever you have. The Nemesis is a good choice for this fight, since
there are no energy crystals present until after the match.
===============================================================================
When you defeat it, the Red Demon will drop a bunch of weapon exp. as well as a
chest. Open it to find the Clay Figure Medal. Like the Alien Medal, it does
nothing and is only there for decoration.
Continue left past the boss room. You'll encounter two Critters in a room with
a bunch of blood drips. Kill the Critters and avoid the droplets, and you'll
enter a large room full of Critters. Thankfully, the space is big enough so you
won't get swarmed as long as you approach slowly. Dispatch all the Critters and
head to the final gauntlet of Presses.
As with the regular Last Cave, there are two ways through this section. You can
just run left while shooting continuously, and you'll take care of both the
Presses and the Critters. The twist here is that now there will be lava pits in
your path, so you need to act fast and boost over them. If you make a mistake
here, remember that falling into the lava only does 10 damage while getting
crushed by a Press is an instant KO.
Again, you can always avoid the risk of getting flattened by killing the
Presses before they get the chance to drop down. This can be done a variety of
creative ways, so please don't send me any more emails about new strategies for
this section; just stick with the method you found most useful.
At the end of the corridor, watch out for the two Critters hiding in the lava
pool. Head to the door and exit to the Balcony.
Congratulations, you survived Last Cave (Hidden)! Take some deep breaths, we're
about to reach the climax of this story.
=======================
| Endgame [sect112] |XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
-----------------------
_________ _______
( Weapons )========( Items )=============.
| | |
| -none- | |
'__________ | |
( Upgrades )=======| -none- |
| | |
| -none- | |
| | |
'----------------------------------------'
_________
[ Balcony ]
Finally, fresh air! Take a moment and enjoy the beautiful scenery, then head
to the right. It won't be long before you encounter two frenzied Mimigas.
They're of the same type as the one who attacked you in Grasstown Hut, so just
keep your distance while you shoot at them. Past the Mimigas is the helicopter
that Sue and co. rode in on (you can't pilot it, too bad). A bit further ahead
is a small building. Enter it.
______________
[ Prefab House ]
At last, the long-awaited save point. Save and heal at the bed, then exit to
Balcony again. If you want, you can inspect the bookshelf to find a note by
Professor Booster, detailing the specifics of his Booster invention.
_________
[ Balcony ]
Head right once more, and you'll find another pair of frenzied Mimigas. This
time, however, one of them is Igor-sized. They're not too difficult to take
out, but you can always just boost over their heads and outrun them.
As you continue right, you'll find an opening that will lead to the Throne
Room, where three back-to-back boss fights await. Ignore this door for now;
instead, boost upwards along the wall. Keep heading up and you'll reach a
life-saving supply depot enclosed by star blocks. There are hearts, missile
refills and, most importantly, weapon energy capsules, which must be a sight
for sore eyes after the trek through Hidden Last Cave. You need not max out all
your weapons' exp. bar, only your Polar Star upgrade and your Missile Launcher
(and the Blade to level 2 or 3 if you still have it).
After you're done, continue climbing up the wall and you'll reach the very top
of Balcony, where you'll find a sign. Now if you boost up from the sign
directly upwards into the clouds, you'll be teleported to the entrance to the
Throne Room. If you boost left for a bit then boost up, you'll arrive at the
entrance to the Prefab House instead. Do the latter, save one last time, and
enter the door to the Throne Room.
_____________
[ Throne Room ]
Now, before you fight, let me give you a word of caution. If you intend to
enter Sacred Ground, do not use your Life Pot during the final boss fights.
Furthermore, it's recommended that you avoid using any missiles, because you
will need them in the bonus stage.
Anyway, head right. Misery will be waiting for you. She'll jabber for a bit,
expressing her disdain for this island, and then attack you. Prepare yourself!
.------------.
( Boss: Misery )===============================================================
'============'
After taunting you throughout the entire game, Misery finally confronts you
head-on. This fight is only the first of three consecutive boss battles, so you
need to play conservatively here and save your strength for the remaining
matches.
( Attacks )
Being the witch that she is, Misery carries a wide variety of projectile
attacks. First off, she will remain floating in mid-air throughout the entire
match. For her first attack, she flashes white and fires five black balls at
you. The balls travel relatively fast, but they only travel in a straight line,
so if you continue moving the balls will miss you.
After the attack, she will teleport to a different location, probably at the
opposite end of the room. If you're far enough from her position, she will
summon three slow-moving black balls which will float slowly towards you. As
you run underneath them, they will transform into bolts of lightning and shoot
straight downwards in an attempt to hit you. Like before, this attack can be
avoided simply by moving.
A bit after this attack, Misery will fire her five black balls at you again,
and teleport away. After using the 5-ball attack two times, however, on the
third time instead of firing the balls Misery will summon a giant block above
your head and send it crashing down on you. Same as before, the attack can be
avoided simply by boosting away. The cycle then repeats.
When Misery's health gets low, she will summon two black rings that will rotate
around her. These rings deal a tiny bit of contact damage, but they block any
attacks (including Snake) which makes it more difficult to deal damage. When
Misery teleports, the rings will transform into orange bats that will fly
towards you for a while before disappearing. If you shoot them, they'll drop
power-ups for you to nab. As Misery's health reaches another critical point,
she will start summoning four rings instead of two. They still behave the same
way, though.
( Strategy )
As I mentioned before, you still have two boss fights ahead of you, so try to
conserve your health during this match. The best weapons to use here are the
Polar Star upgrades, the Nemesis, and the Level 2 Blade. During the first half
of the match, stay on the ground and shoot at her from below whenever possible,
and avoid her attacks when necessary. Also, try to predict where Misery will
appear after she teleports - you'll cut down the number of lightning ball
attacks.
Once Misery starts surrounding herself with rings, you can take one of two
approaches. You can continue attacking her from the ground like before,
shooting between the gaps in the rings. This is the safest route, although it's
a bit slow since the opportunity to shoot through four rings is rather limited.
Another approach is to boost into the region inside the rings and maintain a
general position, where you'll have a clear shot at Misery at point blank
range. However, this method makes dodging Misery's attack a slightly harder
task, and you risk contact damage with both Misery and the rings.
If you get low on health, you can kill Misery's bats for some useful power-ups.
Misery will go down with some patience, as all her attacks can be avoided with
a cool head and steady hand.
===============================================================================
_____________
[ Throne Room ]
Misery will beat a hasty retreat after you defeat her. A hole in the ceiling
appears, along with some stone steps. Climb upwards and jump into the hole.
__________________
[ The King's Table ]
Now that Misery is gone, there's nobody to protect the doctor anymore, so just
waltz up to him and shoot him a couple of times and... wait wait wait, what's
this about red crystals and superpowers?
.----------------.
( Boss: The Doctor )===========================================================
'================'
Unlike many of the previous bosses, the Doctor has two completely different
forms, although they're both relatively easy as long as you're prepared. Again,
try not to lose too much life here; the toughest fight is yet to come.
( Attacks )
Like Misery, the Doctor is capable of teleporting around the room, although he
is usually standing on the ground instead of hovering in the air. His Red
Crystal, however, doesn't teleport along with him, and so will travel in a
zigzag pattern to his new location. The crystal actually does a bit of contact
damage, so don't let it hit you.
After the Doctor teleports, he fires two red energy waves that travel in a
double-helix pattern (like a strand of DNA). The height to which they can reach
increases over time. You can avoid them by standing in safe spots in their
firing trajectory, but they're very hard to predict correctly, so you'd be
better off just jumping over the entire thing. The waves also block all shots,
so it's rather difficult to keep damaging the Doctor consistently. After firing
the waves, the Doctor will teleport again.
Occasionally, the Doctor will teleport into the air and fire multiple energy
waves which bounce off the walls. These waves, although numerous, travel slower
than his normal waves and are easy to predict, so just move into a safe spot if
one is coming towards you.
After you kill the Doctor, he loses control of the Crystal's power and mutates
into a hideous monster. More importantly, his entire attack pattern changes,
and his personality becomes extremely aggressive. His standard attack is to
jump towards you, hoping to crush you underneath him. After a while, he'll
teleport, but instead of emerging at the other side of the room, he teleports
directly on top of you, so keep moving. Occasionally he will flash red and
perform a short dash towards you; watch out for this attack and jump or boost
away.
When his health gets low, he'll unleash his final attack: he raises his hands
and releases a swarm of bats. These bats must be on steroids or something,
because they fly extremely fast. If you let the Doctor fill up the screen with
bats, you're going to have a hell of a time beating him while maintaining a
decent health level. The best way to avoid the attack is to go on the
offensive; when you see the Doctor stick out his hands, turn towards him and
fire continuously. You'll destroy almost all the bats, and in the process deal
some damage to the Doctor, killing two birds with one stone.
( Strategy )
For the first stage, just shoot at the Doctor while you're not avoiding his
attacks. He's pretty evasive, so the first stage might take longer than you
expect. Make avoiding his attacks your priority.
Things actually get easier during second stage, for two main reasons: one, the
Doctor has basically no form of protection besides his Crystal, meaning he's
wide open to your attacks, and two, he actually comes toward you, so no more of
chasing him halfway across the room just to have him teleport away again.
The main weakness that the transformed Doctor has is that he has to pause after
each move. Once you get the timing down, you can shoot him as much as possible,
quickly boost away from him to avoid his next attack, then turn around and
attack again. Using this method, you should be at close enough range so you can
get into position to shoot down his bats. You should also be able to kill him
during or a while after he uses his bat attack if you follow this strategy. If
not, just keep shooting away. The bats also drop power-ups for you, so pick
those up if you're getting low on health.
===============================================================================
__________________
[ The King's Table ]
After you defeat him, the Doctor will explode in a burst of pixilated blood
(apparently his blood cells are the size of tennis balls). The Red Crystal goes
flying off into the ceiling, and a hole opens up in the ceiling yet again.
Before you enter, find Chaco, the purple-colored Mimiga, and talk to her two
times. Her attractive giggle will make hearts appear above all the worker
Mimigas, which you can collect to restore your health. Tee-hee!
Now climb the newly formed blocks to the (final) final boss.
_____________
[ Black Space ]
Hey, isn't that the Core you almost recklessly destroyed back in the Labyrinth?
Suddenly, Misery shows up and bargains with you: in exchange of you leaving the
island, she'll let Sue free. Before you can respond, however, a familiar voice
rings throughout the room...
Turns out that the Doctor survived thanks to the Red Crystal (jeez, what's in
that thing anyways?). He transforms Misery into a bird-like creature and Sue
into a ninja bunny, then personally takes control of the Core. Get ready for
your final battle.
.-----------------.
( Boss: Undead Core )==========================================================
'================='
You actually have to fight three things at once, but both Sue and Misery are
just minor distractions. The Undead Core is the one you should be focused on,
since killing it also automatically defeats the other two.
( Attacks )
Before talking about the main Core, let's discuss Sue and Misery first. Sue is
capable of floating in the air. First she'll gain invincibility (indicated by
a flashing sequence) and advance towards you. Then, she'll do a somersault
towards your position, which does some damage. It's not very hard to avoid,
since she travels in a straight trajectory and can actually be stunned out of
the attack. If you keep moving, Sue won't pose a major threat, so you can
ignore her if you wish. If you find that you cannot manage to concentrate on
other stuff while dodging her attack, though, consider killing her first.
Misery attacks by summoning orange-colored Critters, bats, and fish missiles.
As per usual, the Critters only hop along the ground, so just stay in the air
and you'll be fine. The bats might be a bit more annoying, but they're easy to
take down. Other than summoning creatures, Misery doesn't do anything, and
floats a good distance from you. As with Sue, you can ignore her, since she
actually helps you a bit by providing you with an ample source of power-ups.
Now onto the Undead Core itself. Like the previous Core fight, you must damage
the main core directly. Unlike the last time, however, the minicores no longer
surround the main one; instead, they slowly travel from right to left in a
wavy pattern. The minicores do not shoot projectiles; in fact, they are
harmless by themselves and can even be used as platforms.
Now for the main core. like last time, you can only damage it when it is
"active". It will hover back and forth rather slowly in the middle of the
stage. It has three attacks it can use, all of which you can predict from the
form that the core takes when it becomes active.
If you see a skull-like face within the active core, it means that it will fire
energy waves that travel along the floor and ceiling. This attack is quite easy
to avoid - just stay afloat on a minicore and you'll never be harmed by this
attack.
If the core displays teeth, it will fire spinning dumbbell-shaped projectiles
at you. They're a bit harder to dodge than the energy waves, but they shouldn't
be a major problem since there are only a few on screen at a time. It gets a
bit trickier if Sue or Misery is still alive, though.
When the core's health reaches a critical level, it will display a third and
final attack - the core will show an open mouth, and in addition to firing both
of his other attacks at once, will fire three gigantic blasts of energy. You're
likely to get hit during this fight, but just make sure you absolutely do not
jump into the giant Hadokens. It'll probably mean death for you.
( Strategy )
If you want to take the safe approach, then at the beginning of the match only
concentrate on taking out Sue. It should be relatively simple, since her attack
patterns are extremely predictable. Once Sue is gone, take care of Misery. She
should be easy to deal damage on since she moves very slowly. Just take out the
creatures that she summons to clear a path to her (watch out for the Core's
energy waves when you're on the ground killing Critters). Your main Polar Star
upgrade or Nemesis should work wonderfully. You can also use the level 2 Blade
if you feel gutsy. Again, if you are just focused on speed, ignore Sue and
Misery and just focus on the Undead Core.
With both Misery and Sue gone, you can now solely concentrate on the Undead
Core. Wait for it to become active. If it's the face, then just hop across the
minicores and continue to strike him. The projectiles that the toothy version
emits are a nuisance, so if you're low on health, just boost behind the Core;
he'll never be able to reach you from there.
For its mouth attack, just be sure to get out of the way of his energy blasts,
then continue damaging him like normal. A Polar Star upgrade, Nemesis, or level
2 or 3 Blade works well here. Again, if you plan to enter Sacred Ground, try
not to use any missiles during this fight. Don't get overwhelmed and you'll see
victory in no time.
Congratulations, you just beat the final boss! Well, not really, but you should
still be proud of yourself for coming this far.
===============================================================================
_____________
[ Black Space ]
You wake up in Black Space, stunned, with Sue by your side. She rushes ahead.
Follow her and jump down. Note that your health has been completely restored.
__________________
[ The King's Table ]
Fortunately, all the Mimigas have been freed from their cages. Continue
straight down to the exit to the Throne Room.
_____________
[ Throne Room ]
Head left out the door to Balcony.
_________
[ Balcony ]
Sue will call out to you, then run on ahead. Blocks will then start falling
from the sky. They do -10 damage each, so don't get hit, ESPECIALLY if you're
aiming for the bonus stage. In fact, if you get damaged here, you should just
reset and fight the last three bosses over again. Starting with full health in
Sacred Ground is extremely important.
Run or boost to the left, and you'll eventually reach the Prefab House. If you
have fulfilled all the requirements for the bonus stage, that is, rescuing
Curly and restoring her memory as well as obtaining the Booster v2.0, then the
door to the building will be open. Enter and skip to the next section, titled
"Sacred Ground".
NOTE: You can still see the normal ending even if you enter the Prefab
House; you don't have to go through the triple boss fight again.
If you had not fulfilled the requirements, then the door won't open for you.
Keep moving left, dodging the blocks as you go, until you reach the western
edge of Balcony. The door to Last Cave is blocked, so where are we supposed to
go? Hey, looks like Sue is waving to you. She tells you to- what, jump? Are you
insane? But it looks like there's no other way off this collapsing island, so
follow sue and jump out into the sky.
The rest is all cinematics, so you'll have to see how the ending turns out by
yourself.
You've just beaten Cave Story. Huzzah! But there is still a last area for you
to explore. If you only managed to get the normal ending, then you should start
a new game, but this time fulfill the criteria to gain access to Sacred Ground,
the final stage of Cave Story.
=============================
| Sacred Ground [sect113] |XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
-----------------------------
NOTE: In order to gain access to this secret level, there are a few things you
must do:
1) Skip the Booster v0.8; you'll receive the Booster v2.0 later on in
the game.
2) Make sure to get the Tow Rope in the Core, so you can take Curly
along with you.
3) In the Waterway, enter the Waterway Cabin and drain the water from
Curly, then pick her up again and go through the remaining portion
of Waterway.
4) The next time you see Curly, she should be in lower-right part of
Plantation, with her memories gone. Go back to the Graveyard in
Mimiga Village and acquire the Ma Pignon in a boss fight. Go back to
Curly and feed her the mushroom, and she will regain her memories.
Make sure you get the Iron Bond from her.
With these requirements fulfilled, the door to the Prefab House will be
open during your final escape, which will lead to Sacred Grounds.
_________ _______
( Weapons )========( Items )=============.
| | |
| -none- | |
'__________ | |
( Upgrades )=======| -none- |
| | |
| Life Capsule x1 | |
| Missile Expn x1 | |
| | |
'----------------------------------------'
______________
[ Prefab House ]
Whew, so you've made it all the way here. What follows will be the culmination
of your endeavors in this game. Think the Hidden Last Cave was tough? Oh,
you've seen nothing yet.
There's a save point here, so if you're at full health then save. If not, reset
and beat the three bosses again, and this time try not to get hit by any
falling blocks.
The bed is bent out of shape, so no resting for you. The door also appears to
be locked. If you inspect the bookshelf, though, a mysterious voice will ask
you if you want to "turn back time". Make sure you have saved before selecting
yes. The voice will then transport you back to Balcony, outside the entrance to
the Throne Room, where Sue is hollering at you to hurry up. This way you can
see the normal ending while keeping your save in the Prefab House.
Now, if you haven't noticed already, a hole has opened up in the floor. This is
the entrance to the secret stage. You ready for this? Let's hope so. Jump down
the hole to your final challenge.
__________________
[ Sacred Ground B1 ]
While you are still falling in darkness, the Nikumaru Counter activates. It
will keep track of your record time for beating the bonus stage (there are
several speedrun tips here for those who are interested). More importantly, a
black wind blows through you and all your weapons are dropped to level 1. Oh
god, it's Last Cave all over again.
Once you land, you'll find yourself in a strange, haphazard room (weird,
haven't we seen this tileset somewhere before?). If you're not rushed for time,
head right of the entrance and drop down the secret passageway to a sign that
reads, "Welcome to hell!". Welcome to hell indeed. Make your way back up, and
this time head left.
What, scared already? Below you is a staircase covered with death spikes. Jump
down into the passageway and keep holding Left. You'll only need two short
boosts to stay clear of the spikes this way. When you reach the end of the
staircase, however, you'll see another layer of spikes at the bottom. Insane.
When you can, immediately boost right between the spikes, then boost up and
finally reach safety. It's understandable that a first-timer wouldn't be able
to accomplish this feat easily; in that case, you can always regain your boost
by landing on one of the smaller spikes that only do -10 damage. As soon as you
land on the platform, a mysterious voice (the same as before? Perhaps) will
emanate from somewhere...
"Did you know that the witch-woman Jenka once had a brother?
His name was Ballos. Like his sister, he wielded powers far
beyond those of mortals..."
Sounds familiar? It's the same lines you heard when you almost drowned in the
Core's boss room. Wonder what it means...
Anyway, from the platform head right and avoid the spikes, then drop down.
There are two weapon energy capsules here; use them to level up your Missile
Launcher. Below is a long floor of death spikes, but there's a trick here -
make sure you don't run out of boost at the end of the spikes, where there's
another shaft you can fall down into. You have to save a little for what's
coming up later.
Inside the shaft are four more energy capsules suspended in the air; you can
get them by shooting the capsules right before you're about to pass them. At
the very bottom of the shaft is another row of death spikes, where the only
safe platform is in an alcove with a Life Capsule. The only way you can reach
this alcove is with a boost, hence why I told you to conserve a bit of boost
earlier.
Once you make it onto the alcove, grab the last Life Capsule in the game (which
should bring you to 55 max health), jump down from the alcove and boost right
to the door. Hey, wha- it's Curly! She appears to be unconscious for some
reason, so take her along with the Tow Rope. Once you've picked up Curly, head
to the door. The mysterious voice will speak again:
"He used his magical powers to help and guide people, and the
people loved and trusted him in return. Even more than they
did their own king..."
Interesting. With Curly in tow, enter the door.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Speedrun Tip:
Use the Booster as much as possible, not only in this section but in the
other sections that follow. Boosting is much faster than walking, so you'll
cover a longer distance in a shorter amount of time.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
__________________
[ Sacred Ground B2 ]
The good news here is that the spike traps are gone, at least for now. The bad
news is this room is perhaps the most challenging (read: luck-based) in the
entirety of Sacred Ground. B2 is a long corridor with hardly any barriers or
obstacles, but there are two threats here that when combined will make this
area a living hell. First off, blocks will be constantly falling from the
ceiling. They do -10 damage, regardless of size. They also fall randomly, so
sometimes your luck will screw you over.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Speedrun Tip:
Regarding the larger-sized falling blocks, you only get damaged if you
touch the bottom half of it. This means that you can actually boost through
the top half of the block with no penalty. Use this to your advantage when
speeding through this section.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aside from the blocks, there's a new type of enemy here - small flying cherubs
called Butes. They're weak by themselves, and only do 5 damage, but they're
very fast and will attack you in swarms. Usually they won't pose a problem if
you keep shooting at them, since they go down in one hit, but coupled with the
falling blocks, they become a serious threat.
If this is your first time through the room, proceed slowly, keeping a sharp
eye on falling blocks and eliminating the Butes that swarm you. There's a lot
of luck involved in this room, so don't feel bad if you die or suffer severe
damage here - as long as you make it alive into the next area, you're fine. At
the halfway point in the corridor, the voice will talk again:
"The jealous king had Ballos apprehended and thrown into
prison, where his punishment was brutal and cruel. Humans
can be terrible creatures indeed..."
The path is pretty linear so just watch out for Butes and falling blocks as you
press on towards the exit. At the exit, you'll get another part of the
narrative:
"Under the extreme cruelty of the torture, Ballos' magical
abilities finally ran wild. The king was engulfed in the swirl
of magic and destroyed in an instant. In a single night, the
kingdom that Ballos so loved was reduced to ashen ruins."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Speedrun Tip:
You should be using the Booster as much as humanly possible through this
entire section. Keep boosting right and don't stop for anything except to
avoid boulders. Also, keep as low to the ground as you can, since you'll be
able to predict incoming boulders better and recharge the Booster faster.
If you get hit while boosting, immediately let go of the boost and drop to
the ground, because the recoil will propel you to the ceiling, causing you
to lose time.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
__________________
[ Sacred Ground B3 ]
This is it, the final floor. This area is like B1 and B2 combined, with spikes
as well as many Butes (the falling blocks are gone, thank god). Before you go
any further though, there's a nice trick you can take advantage of.
See those two hearts in the pit to the right of you? You can jump down and nab
them for health. Now boost up into the previous room, and then drop back down
again. The hearts have respawned! You can do this as many times as you like, so
fill your HP back to full before proceeding any further.
Now boost a bit to the left of the platform underneath the entrance, then boost
back onto it. If you went far enough out, you should trigger a stream of Butes
who will drop down from the entrance. Stand directly underneath their spawn
point and shoot upward continuously, which should kill them before they can
react. You can also do the same trick outlined above with the respawning Butes
to gain additional hearts, missiles, and energy crystals.
Hey, looks like Curly has woken up, and she's got herself...another Nemesis?!
Awesome! She'll shoot her gun opposite of the direction you are facing whenever
you press the Fire button (unless you're standing on the ground and shooting
up, in which case she will shoot up with you). Anyway, after a while the Butes
will stop spawning, so now boost to your left.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Speedrun Tip:
Skip the previous steps entirely; speed is more important than safety.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
You'll come across a section with some pillars you can stand on. Don't pause
for too long, though, since there are Presses above each one. Below you is a
region of safe ground, although there are Butes with swords guarding it, so
don't drop down and they won't bother you much. At the end, there's a
stationary archer Bute who will shoot arrows at you for -8 damage; destroy him
and boost up onto the higher ledge.
You'll meet a new enemy here - a larger version of the Bute, called Mesa. He
stands in one place and hurls blocks at you, dealing -10 damage. Although Mesas
take a lot of damage to kill, they're relatively easy to dispatch since their
throwing range is always fixed, so once you find a safe spot you can stay there
and finish them off.
There are two Mesas on this platform, as well as two sword Butes, who you can
take care of easily. After killing all four enemies, collect the power-ups that
they drop (focus on leveling up your Missile Launcher) and head to the left end
of the floor.
Here a black and red barrier is blocking your path. These barriers, called
Deleets, will start a timer countdown after you deal enough damage to them,
after which it will self-destruct and damage you if you're caught in the blast
radius. Shoot the Deleet until it activates, then stand a safe distance away
and wait for it to explode before proceeding.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Speedrun Tip:
While you're boosting onto the platform with the four enemies, switch to
your Missile Launcher and fire a level 2 or 3 missile at where the Deleet
is positioned, then immediately boost onto the ledge. If done properly, the
missile will fly above the enemies and activate the Deleet, saving you a
bunch of time. Also, if you have the Snake, find the Deleet in the corridor
below you and shoot down at it to activate it prematurely.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The next area contains two archers, so find a gap between their arrows and
dispatch them quickly. As you drop down to the second floor, Butes will start
flying out of a hole above you. Like last time, stand beneath the spawn point
and shoot upwards to kill them all with no trouble. Collect the power-ups and
head right. Make a path through the star blocks (there are some health refills
hidden in some of the upper blocks) and activate the Deleet here. After it
explodes, head downward to the bottom level.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Speedrun Tip:
As with last time, ignore the flying Butes and just head right. If you have
the Spur, you can charge it up to level 3 and fire the laser straight
through the star blocks and hit the Deleet, activating it. Note that if you
already activated this Deleet using the Snake from the previous floor, it
should explode before you reach it, saving you the countdown time. Finally,
there's another Deleet in the corridor below, so activate it with the
Snake.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
At this level, you'll see two small black and red balls circling the corridor.
These are called Rollings, and they're indestructible, so just avoid them and
make your way to the Deleet at the end. Activate it and enter the next room.
The mysterious voice will continue the story:
"Jenka, seeing her brother's madness, confined him to this
floating island. That was the most she could do. Even as he
was, she could not bring herself to kill her own brother..."
You'll find yourself in a large, open space. Archers are stationed on the walls
of the room, and Mesas populate the bottom. From where you are, first take care
of the archers directly in front of you, then wait for an opportunity to boost
up and take down the Archers on the wall above you when they're not shooting.
Next, make your way left. Ignore the Mesas on the bottom and head towards the
opposite wall, which has a staircase shape, with an archer stationed on each
"step". First take out the one on the bottom step, then shoot upwards. You'll
kill the archer on the step above you. Make your way up the steps this way.
At the top of the steps is a Deleet, so shoot it to activate it. As soon as you
reach the Deleet, Butes will start spawning from a hole near you, so drop down
and spawn-kill them like you did previously. After dispatching all the Butes,
head through the Deleet barrier into the next section.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Speedrun Tip:
There's an extremely effective shortcut you can take here. First, ignore
all the archers along the walls, and make your way to the bottom of the
opposite wall. There's a tiny opening underneath the wall that leads to the
next section, but it's blocked by Mesas and, more importantly, death
spikes. First, kill the Mesa that's blocking access to the passage. Then,
run into another Mesa or get hit by one of his blocks to gain a few frames
of invincibility, then quickly boost through the spike-filled section to
the next room. You can save about 20-30 seconds by using this shortcut.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The next section is similar to the previous one in terms of layout; archers
line the walls as Mesas wait at the bottom. First, from the high ledge you're
standing on, use a long-range weapon to kill the archer and Mesa stationed
directly opposite of you. Now you can kill all the archers if you wish, but
it's not necessary.
When you find an opening between their waves of arrows, drop straight down onto
the platform underneath the right wall. From this safe spot, you can activate
the Deleet to your left (you'll need to jump a bit) as well as avoid all the
projectiles hurled at you. Once the Deleet is gone, proceed to the next area.
As soon as you enter the next room and land on the first platform, Butes will
spawn from the floor. Just like always, stay in one place and shoot them all
down. Now, you'll notice that there are three Deleets on the opposite wall,
each leading to the next room although at a different altitude. The Deleet in
the middle is the safest one, so activate it and proceed.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Speedrun Tip:
The Deleet at the bottom provides the quickest path. You'll have to
intentionally get hit by a Bute, though, since only with the recoil will
you have enough height to make it onto the next platform.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
This room is simply insane. When the Deleet explodes, you'll be assaulted by a
huge swarm of Butes. You'll also notice a high ledge where two archers are
shooting at you. From the platform you're standing on, take care of as many
Butes as you can while dodging the arrows, then boost underneath the archers'
platform to reach a small plateau at the other end.
When you land, take care not to stray beyond the middle of the ledge. You now
should have activated Bute spawn points at three different locations. Stand
where you are and alternate between shooting up and shooting horizontally to
take them all out. After most of the Butes have fallen, walk to the left edge
of the platform, which will trigger yet another narration:
"It was Jenka's daughter, Misery who made Ballos create the
*Demon Crown*. She was subsequently cursed by the crown,
forced to do the bidding of all who wear it. If the crown is
destroyed, the curse is lifted. However..."
After the voice disappears again, another stream of Butes will spawn from a
point underneath the spikes to the left. Take care of them as per the usual
method. Next to the platform you're standing on are two Deleets in a row, both
of which you should've already activated in the previous firefight. Do not go
beyond them just yet; there's a cool upgrade we can nab first.
Boost onto the platform with the two archers and take them out. If you look
above you, you'll see a single star block on top of a tiny ledge. Boost up and
shoot it to reveal a chest, which contains a Missile Expansion for 24(!) extra
missiles. You should now be able to carry a whopping total of 54 missiles,
enough to bomb the upcoming bosses to hell and back. Now drop back down and
enter the room guarded by the two Deleets. If you have the Spur, start charging
it as you enter.
=Easter Egg=
If you went through the entire game without obtaining a Missile Launcher, then
opening the chest here will give you the Missile Launcher with a stockpile of
100 missiles! Unfortunately, it's only the regular Missile Launcher, not the
Super Missiles.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Speedrun Tip:
From the entrance near the bottom, quickly boost your way to the plateau.
If you have the Snake, drop down right next to the two Deleets, then use
the Booster to maintain a stationary position while shooting both Deleets.
After they activate, move back to the plateau, then brave the storm of
Butes and reach the Missile Expansion. By now the Deleets should have
exploded, so head back down and enter the next room. If you've been
speedrunning up until now, your health is probably getting low, so use the
Life Pot here.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
As you enter the final room, the door behind you will close. Boss time!
.-----------------.
( Boss: Heavy Press )==========================================================
'================='
Heavy Press is a giant press suspended in the ceiling by blocks, and he can
only be damaged by shooting the exposed spot in the center of the stage. It's
not hard to take him down, but you may take a lot of damage while doing so. The
plan here is to kill Heavy Press as fast as possible without getting hit a lot.
( Attacks )
Heavy Press only has one attack: he occasionally shoots lightning down from his
central damage point. However, he is protected by two Rollings which
continuously circle the room. Also, Butes constantly emerge from two spawn
points on either side of the stage. These enemies give you plenty of
distractions in this fight. Whatever you do, don't lose sight of your enemies
in the chaos.
( Strategy )
There is a simple strategy here. Wait for Heavy Press to shoot lightning down,
then get under his weak spot and pound him with the Spur or Nemesis. If you've
charged the Spur while flying in from the previous room, you can get a free
shot off of him (just make sure not to miss). Stand on the ground and keep
shooting upwards, and you'll both damage Heavy Press and kill all the spawning
Butes. When a Rolling comes along, don't move sideways and just hop over it.
However, this exposes you to any Butes attacking from the side, so let go of
the Up key and shoot at both sides (with the help of Curly) to eliminate any
attacking Butes. When you see and/or hear Heavy Press charging his lightning
again, boost a bit to the side to avoid it, then jump back to the same spot and
continue attacking him. With both your firepower, you should take him down in
no time.
===============================================================================
__________________
[ Sacred Ground B3 ]
After defeating Heavy Press, immediately move to the side of the room. Heavy
Press will awaken and, similar to a Press, crash down onto the floor. If you do
so much as touch him, you'll explode and die instantly. Heavy Press will also
create a new path by crashing through the floor, forming a large fissure on the
ground. Collect any remaining power-ups and jump down the hole.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Speedrun Tip:
If there are any Butes still flying around when you defeat Heavy Press,
jump into one of them to gain invincibility. As Heavy Press falls, you'll
be immune from his crush, and you'll actually enter the newly-formed hole
before Heavy Press itself.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
__________
[ Passage? ]
Okay, we've definitely been here before. As you follow Heavy Press down, you'll
hear the final part of the narrative:
"Even if the crown is destroyed, it will only rise every time,
so long as Ballos yet lives. Such is the strength of his soul
that permeates the Crown."
There are three doors in this area, two of which we already know where they
lead to. Unfortunately, the door out to the Plantation is locked. Go into the
Statue Chamber instead, the opposite door.
________________
[ Statue Chamber ]
Hmm, that carver dude is gone, but he appears to have finished the final statue
of the Doctor. You can now actually destroy the statues, which will drop some
nice power-ups. Also, by destroying the statues you'll actually create new
ones, specifically those of Quote, Toroko, King, and Curly.
Head back out the door when you're done, since the clock is still ticking.
Obviously if you're speedrunning you shouldn't even be here.
__________
[ Passage? ]
Now jump down and take the door on the bottom.
__________
[ Corridor ]
Don't worry, it's just a regular corridor. Halfway through it, you'll see a
puppy. As you approach it will talk to you before it disappears:
"Please kill my master. That is the only way Misery can be freed...
...The only way to avoid repetition of this tragedy. My master's
name is Ballos. His magic powers have gone wild, and now he cannot
even die..."
Oh come on, don't tell me you weren't expecting to fight this Ballos dude after
all that background narrative from before. Continue along the corridor and
enter the door at the very end.
______________
[ Seal Chamber ]
Creepy place, eh? Jump over the spikes and head over to the center of the room,
where an orange man in a priest garb stands waiting for you. He introduces
himself as Ballos, and vows to kill you if you don't kill him. The final boss
fight is about to commence.
.------------.
( Boss: Ballos )===============================================================
'============'
Because Ballos has multiple forms, I broke down this section into stages to
make things more organized.
.----------.
( First Form )-----------------------------------------------------------------
'=========='
Ballos' first form is relatively easy if you get his attack pattern down
quickly. Although fast, Ballos is easy to damage, so this fight shouldn't drag
on for too long.
( Attacks )
Ballos will start by charging at you, and when you jump over him to avoid him,
he'll change directions and charge upwards. He then charges horizontally again,
then finally either charges into the ceiling or on the ground (most of the time
it's the latter). When he does this, he scatters bones like a shockwave along
the ground (or drops them on you if he charges the ceiling). They do quite a
lot of damage, so make sure to jump over them. After resting for a while, he
starts again. It's relatively easy to avoid this attack; just be sure to get
out of the way fast enough, and jump over the bones when they reach you.
When Ballos' health gets low, he flies up in the air and hovers for a bit. He
then shoots lightning bolts down at you. They're extremely fast, but can be
predicted since a crosshair will appear at the place it will hit. You can avoid
this attack by moving back and forth, paying attention to the crosshairs. After
a few bolts, he unleashes several bolts all at once, but they're still marked
by crosshairs so just get into a safe spot.
( Strategy )
At the very beginning of the match, Ballos can't be hurt until he raises his
hand, so don't waste your charged Spur shot. You should be continuously trying
to damage Ballos, even while you're dodging, since Curly can hit him when he's
chasing you. The Nemesis is performs exceptionally well in this fight since
there are no energy crystals here. If you're aggressive, you can kill Ballos
before he ever performs his lightning attack, but if he does then just run back
and forth underneath him, shooting upwards and dodging the lightning. He'll go
down extremely fast.
> Advanced Strategy <
If you're using turbo options (or have a button-pressing speed of over mach 2),
switch to Nemesis and get up close to Ballos at the start of the match, then
aim upwards and shoot. You should only be damaged once before you kill Ballos.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After you defeat Ballos' first form, he screams for a bit then flies into the
ceiling. Small green flying monsters will then swarm the upper portion of the
room. These Green Devils are actually pretty harmless, and you can actually
shoot them down for power-ups. If your Missile Launcher is still not at
level 3, use this brief ceasefire to get some energy crystals from the Green
Devils.
Soon you'll hear a charging sound, and a crosshair will appear, similar to the
one for the lightning bolts. Get out of range of this crosshair, because Ballos
will come crashing down, now in the form of a giant, hideous ball. They don't
call him Ballos for nothing.
.-----------.
( Second Form )----------------------------------------------------------------
'==========='
Ballos' second form is actually easier than his first form. It shouldn't be too
difficult to take him out as long as you're careful.
( Attacks )
Ballos has only one attack in this form - he will jump in the air in your
direction and attempt to crush you. Each time he lands, he'll scatter bones
across the ground. To avoid the attack, just boost underneath him whenever he
jumps, avoiding the bones as you land. It's that simple. He also pauses for a
while after three jumps (two jumps at the very beginning of the match), giving
you a chance to attack him.
( Strategy )
The only way to damage Ballos is by shooting his eyes. The safe approach would
be to focus on dodging his jump until he rests. When he does so, boost up to
where his eye is. There's actually a spot beside his eye socket where you can
land. If you have the Spur, you should be charging it up when you were dodging
the jumps; now release the laser and it will penetrate both eyes, dealing
massive damage. If it doesn't penetrate, then you're shooting in the wrong
spot. Use missiles if you don't have the Spur, just be sure not to waste too
many. Just damage him like this and he'll go down in no time.
> Advanced Strategy <
As soon as Ball Ballos appears, jump onto his eye socket and wait for his eyes
to open. When they do, unleash your level 3 missiles on him. If you have a
turbo controller, you can kill Ballos before he finishes his first jump.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After you reduce Ballos' health to zero yet again, he closes his two eyes and
surrounds himself with eight rotating eyeballs. You'll have to take out the
eyeballs before damaging Ballos any further. If you're still holding onto your
Life Pot, this is the time to use it.
.----------.
( Third Form )-----------------------------------------------------------------
'=========='
This form is quite possibly the hardest form to beat. There are many dangers
during this fight, so keep sharp and stay focused.
( Attacks )
Ballos himself will travel in a clockwise rectangular path, with the eyeballs
circling counterclockwise. While he is moving at the top, his eyes will drop
skull projectiles on you, but they're easy to spot and even easier to avoid.
Things get tricky when Ballos starts moving along the bottom of the room - he
will travel low enough so that his eyeballs barely touch the floor. in order to
avoid touching the eyes for contact damage, you must stand in a gap in between
two eyes when Ballos passes you. As he is coming towards you, predict where a
safe spot would be located, then stand still in that safe spot until Ballos
passes you by. The eyes do 14 damage if you bump into them, so be very careful
here.
( Strategy )
You must shoot out all 8 of Ballos' eyes in order to move onto his final form.
As Ballos moves across the top, follow him along the ground, shooting up as you
go. You should also damage his eyes as much as possible when you're dodging
them. Other than that, just avoid getting hit; you're almost done with Ballos.
> Advanced Strategy <
Use a few missiles here, as they quickly take out all the eyes. Then switch to
Nemesis and kill the rest. Don't be afraid to get damaged. Also, for
speedrunning purposes, Ballos must reach the top-center of his rectangular path
before changing to his next form, so on any given "rotation", try to kill all
the eyes before Ballos reaches that point to save some time.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When you immobilize all of Ballos' eyes, he will move to the center of the
room, continuing to drop skulls. After a while, Ballos will reveal his final
form: a grotesque being with corpses hanging out of his eyes and mouth. You've
already come so close; it's time to finish this once and for all.
.----------.
( Final Form )-----------------------------------------------------------------
'=========='
Believe it or not, this battle can either be the hardest in the game or the
easiest in the game. Why? Read on.
( Attacks )
During the transition phase between third and final form, Ballos' eyeballs will
rotate closer to his main body. A series of rotating platforms appears around
him. After a while, the grounds are covered with small spikes (that only do -2
damage, thank god), and you're forced to stand on the rotating platforms to
avoid damage. Ballos will then explode and reveal his final form. Now he can be
damaged by shooting anywhere at his main body, but the eyeballs prevent you
from reaching him. If you look closely, four eyes are open and four are closed;
you can shoot the open eyes, and they will fall from the main body. They don't
just disappear, however; once an eye has fallen, it bounces along the ground,
trying to damage you. At the same time, red-colored Butes spawn from the side
of the room as well as from Ballos' forehead. Some rush at you, while some
hover in one place and shoot arrows at you. Amidst the chaos, you find yourself
getting overwhelmed by the enemies. However, this final battle is deceptively
simple and quick.
( Strategy )
While Ballos still has his eyes closed, wait on the ground while dodging the
skulls. When the spikes appear, let them damage you, then quickly use the few
seconds of invincibility to boost up past the rotating eyeballs to land on
Ballos' eye socket. Once Ballos transforms, empty your entire missile supply
into him - just 12 missiles in rapid succession should be enough to kill him.
This should take about three seconds at most. Victory comes so fast it's almost
like cheating.
> Advanced Strategy <
This is just for people who want to defeat Ballos the hard way, or for people
who ran out of missiles (sucks to be you). Once the rotating platforms appear,
hop onto them. The platforms should be rotating counterclockwise right now, so
get on the left side and try to always stay to the left of Ballos' center. Once
Ballos unleashes his final form, take out the four damageable eyeballs first,
then shoot at Ballos between the gaps of his other 4 eyes. If you platforms
start rotating in the other direction, let them carry you to the other side of
Ballos and continue your assault there. If you have level 3 Blade, this battle
should be over fairly quickly; if not, this may take some time.
The hardest part of this battle is avoiding the Archer Butes. Although each one
only fires occasionally, they come in massive swarms, so if you're not paying
attention you will get hit. Thanks to Curly, you can shoot behind you, so use
her to kill as many archers as possible. The regular Butes should pose no
significant problem, as they don't appear very often. The bouncing eyeballs
should not give you trouble if you stay far enough from the ground.
===============================================================================
In a burst of light, Ballos is finally destroyed. Congratulations, you just
beat Cave Story Hell! Wipe the sweat off your forehead and give yourself a pat
on the back for a job well done. Now just sit back and enjoy the ending
credits. It's been a pleasure guiding you through Cave Story.
~End of walkthrough
===============================================================================
| CAVE BASICS [sect200] |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here you'll find all the technical stuff for the game, such as weapons, items,
and enemies. Enjoy!
========================
| Weapons [sect201] |XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
------------------------
Weapons in Cave Story feature a unique leveling system. When you defeat an
enemy, often times it will drop bouncy golden triangles, called energy
crystals. By collecting these, your current weapon will gain experience, which
is indicated by the weapons experience bar underneath your health count. Once
the bar fills up, your weapon will level up and (usually) become stronger. If
you get damaged, however, in addition to health loss you will lose some
experience on your current weapon, and can potentially level down.
All new weapons you acquire start off at level 1. When you fill up the exp.
bar, the weapon will reach level 2, and the same goes for level 3. Level 3 is
usually the highest level that a weapon can achieve; however, you can still
gain experience until the bar hits MAX, at which point the weapon will stop
gaining experience. This essentially gives you a "damage buffer" so that your
weapon doesn't level down with just one hit. The Blade is the only weapon that
does not have this buffer (theoretically the Spur and Nemesis apply here as
well, but those two operate differently from other weapons in general).
There are a variety of weapons in Cave Story - ten in all. However, due to the
game's trading system, you can only carry a maximum of 5. This means that there
will be choices in the game that will influence your performance against some
mid- to late-game stages depending on the weapons you choose. This section will
examine each weapon in detail and evaluate its pros and cons.
Before we go on, here's the explanation of the charts for each weapon:
damage - amount of damage a weapon deals to an enemy
range - how far the weapon shoots
speed - speed of the shot
rate - maximum number of shots that can be on-screen at one time
exp - amount of experience needed to reach next level (for level 3,
the amount needed to reach MAX)
.----------.
{ Polar Star }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: The most basic gun. It bears the mark of Polaris.
Location: Hermit Gunsmith, First Cave
Ammo: Infinite
.---------------------------------------.
| damage | range | speed | rate | exp |
.---------|--------|--------|--------|------|-----|
| level 1 | 1 | short | fast | ~ | 10 |
|---------|--------|--------|--------|------|-----|
| level 2 | 2 | medium | fast | ~ | 20 |
|---------|--------|--------|--------|------|-----|
| level 3 | 4 | medium | fast | 2 | 10 |
'-------------------------------------------------'
The Polar Star is the basic weapon that you start out with. It deals average
damage and has medium range at level 3, but it's easy to use and not very
difficult to level up. It will remain your staple weapon throughout the first
half of the game. At various points, you will be able to upgrade the Polar Star
into one of 3 more powerful weapons: Machine Gun, Snake, or Spur.
.----------------.
{ Missile Launcher }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: Wide range and powerful damage. However, its ammunition is
limited.
Location: Egg Observation Room, Egg Corridor
Ammo: Limited, does not self-recharge
.---------------------------------------.
| damage | range | speed | rate | exp |
.---------|--------|--------|--------|------|-----|
| level 1 | 8 | long | slow | 2 | 10 |
|---------|--------|--------|--------|------|-----|
| level 2 | 15 | long | slow | 2 | 20 |
|---------|--------|--------|--------|------|-----|
| level 3 | 8(x3) | long | slow | 2 | 10 |
'-------------------------------------------------'
One of the best weapons in the game. The missiles you fire are long-range and
deal a ton of damage, both direct and splash. Of course, there's a catch: you
have a limited missile supply. You start with 10 max missiles, but throughout
the game you'll find Missile Expansions which will increase the number of
Missiles you can hold. These things absolutely rape bosses, so always make sure
you have a full payload before every boss battle.
.--------.
{ Fireball }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: Bounces along the floor. Rather powerful on gentle slopes.
Location: Santa's House, Grasstown
Ammo: Infinite
.---------------------------------------.
| damage | range | speed | rate | exp |
.---------|--------|--------|--------|------|-----|
| level 1 | 2 | long | slow | 2 | 10 |
|---------|--------|--------|--------|------|-----|
| level 2 | 6 | long | slow | 3 | 20 |
|---------|--------|--------|--------|------|-----|
| level 3 | 6 | long | slow | 4 | 20 |
'-------------------------------------------------'
The Fireball shoots out a string of flaming, bouncing projectiles that do a
good deal of damage. The projectiles are unique in that they bounce along the
ground, capable of traversing flat or sloped terrain. This makes the Fireball
extremely effective against enemies on the ground. Conversely, this weapon is
absolutely pitiful against airborne enemies. The Fireball is a lifesaver in
Grasstown and Sand Zone, but its usefulness rapidly diminishes after that.
.-------.
{ Bubbler }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: From the Assembly Hall's fireplace. How you use it is up to you.
Location: Assembly Hall, Mimiga Village
Ammo: Limited (100), self-recharge
.---------------------------------------.
| damage | range | speed | rate | exp |
.---------|--------|--------|--------|------|-----|
| level 1 | 1 | short | slow | 4 | 10 |
|---------|--------|--------|--------|------|-----|
| level 2 | 2 | medium | slow | ~ | 20 |
|---------|--------|--------|--------|------|-----|
| level 3 | 3 | long | fast | 15 | 5 |
'-------------------------------------------------'
No doubt the most fun and unique weapon in the game, the Bubbler is hard to use
at first, but once it reaches level 3, you can discover all sorts of different
uses for it. For best results, use the Bubbler as a pseudo-shield; when you
hold down the fire button, you'll shoot out bubbles that will float around you,
destroying any weak projectiles before they can hit you. You can also rapidly
tap the fire button for some long-range sniping. Do not be fooled by the
Bubbler's low damage and unorthodox controls - it can save your life when used
properly.
.-----------.
{ Machine Gun }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: An automatic rapid-fire gun. Automatically recharges over time.
Location: Sand Zone Residence, Sand Zone
Ammo: Limited (100), self-recharge
.---------------------------------------.
| damage | range | speed | rate | exp |
.---------|--------|--------|--------|------|-----|
| level 1 | 2 | medium | fast | ~ | 30 |
|---------|--------|--------|--------|------|-----|
| level 2 | 4 | medium | fast | ~ | 40 |
|---------|--------|--------|--------|------|-----|
| level 3 | 6 | medium | fast | ~ | 10 |
'-------------------------------------------------'
The Machine Gun is the first of the three branches of the Polar Star, the other
two being the Snake and the Spur. The main advantage that the Machine Gun has
over its counterparts is its ability to auto-fire. The bullets only deal
average damage, but their speed and range makes room-clearing a whole lot
easier. Also, by shooting the gun downwards you can use its recoil
to fly upwards, which makes this gun vital to vertical movement (at least,
until you get the Booster). However, the Machine Gun has a set ammo of 100, so
once in a while you'll have to wait for the bullets to recharge. Thankfully,
once you get the Turbocharge the recharge rate becomes extremely fast. The
Machine Gun proves to be an excellent weapon throughout much of the game, but
if you're going for the best ending and Sacred Ground, its counterparts are
much better suited for the task.
.-----.
{ Blade }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: A single-shot, high-damage weapon. King's soul dwells within.
Location: Sand Zone Storehouse, Sand Zone
Ammo: Infinite
.---------------------------------------.
| damage | range | speed | rate | exp |
.---------|--------|--------|--------|------|-----|
| level 1 | 15 | medium | medium | 1 | 30 |
|---------|--------|--------|--------|------|-----|
| level 2 | 18 | short | medium | 1 | 60 |
|---------|--------|--------|--------|------|-----|
| level 3 | 18~96 | medium | medium | 1 | 0 |
'-------------------------------------------------'
King might have been wimpy as a Mimiga, but his possessed sword sure kicks ass.
The level 3 Blade not only deals a crapload of damage, it also has a wide AoE
if aimed properly. Once you hit an enemy with the initial strike, King's spirit
will slash the surrounding air, and if any slashes connect with another enemy
or projectile, the AoE effect activates again. This can lead to a massive chain
reaction that can deal up to 80+ damage given the right circumstances. This
thing eats bosses alive, especially ones with large hitboxes. Unfortunately,
due to the destructive nature of this weapon, only a single shot can be fired
at a time, meaning you have to wait for the previous chain reaction to finish
before you can launch a new one. Furthermore, The Blade's exp. bar reaches MAX
as soon as it hits level 3, meaning that it will level down as soon as you take
some sort of damage. Late in the game, you will be able to trade the Blade for
the Nemesis after completing a side quest.
Note: the level 2 Blade can actually deal significantly more damage per second
than the level 3 Blade (or rather, any other weapon in the game), causing
some players to even label it as broken. If you can risk getting close to
an enemy, spamming the level 2 Blade is sure to be one of the fastest
ways of taking down any enemy or boss.
.-----.
{ Snake }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: Penetrates through walls. Made by Chaba in the Labyrinth.
Location: Labyrinth Shop, Labyrinth W
Ammo: Infinite
.---------------------------------------.
| damage | range | speed | rate | exp |
.---------|--------|--------|--------|------|-----|
| level 1 | 4 | medium | fast | ~ | 30 |
|---------|--------|--------|--------|------|-----|
| level 2 | 6 | medium | fast | ~ | 40 |
|---------|--------|--------|--------|------|-----|
| level 3 | 8 | medium | fast | 4 | 16 |
'-------------------------------------------------'
It doesn't have the rapid-fire capabilities of the Machine Gun, nor does it
have the charge function of the Spur. What it does have, however, is the
ability to shoot through walls. This function alone warrants its use over
either of the two, as you can now hit enemies while taking cover yourself.
However, during boss fights this function isn't as helpful because there aren't
a lot of obstacles in boss rooms. The shots are rather powerful, and the range
is nice. The Snake is an outstanding defensive weapon, and in my opinion is on
par with the Spur in terms of overall usefulness.
Note: The Snake plays an important role in Sacred Ground speedruns, since it
can shoot through walls and activate the Deleets prematurely, saving a
whole lot of time.
.-------------.
{ Super Missile }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: An exhilarating sort of missile. Its acceleration is unmatched.
Location: Boulder Chamber
Ammo: Limited, does not self-recharge
.---------------------------------------.
| damage | range | speed | rate | exp |
.---------|--------|--------|--------|------|-----|
| level 1 | 20 | long | medium | 2 | 30 |
|---------|--------|--------|--------|------|-----|
| level 2 | 28 | long | medium | 2 | 60 |
|---------|--------|--------|--------|------|-----|
| level 3 | 14(x3) | long | medium | 2 | 10 |
'-------------------------------------------------'
The Super Missile is basically an upgrade to the regular Missile Launcher. Now
the missiles are a golden color, and deal even more damage than before. The
best improvement, however, is that the missiles accelerate MUCH faster,
reaching top speed in less than half a second. The only disadvantage is that it
takes much more weapon exp. to level up, but that minor detail is offset by
gigantic boosts in every other aspect.
.----.
{ Spur }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: Hold down the button to fire a laser.
Location: Hermit Gunsmith, First Cave
Ammo: Infinite
.---------------------------------------.
| damage | range | speed | rate | exp |
.---------|--------|--------|--------|------|-----|
| level 1 | 4 | medium | fast | 3 | ~ |
|---------|--------|--------|--------|------|-----|
| level 2 | 15 | long | fast | 1 | ~ |
|---------|--------|--------|--------|------|-----|
| level 3 | 50 | long | fast | 1 | ~ |
|---------|--------|--------|--------|------|-----|
| MAX | 50~100 | long | fast | 1 | ~ |
'-------------------------------------------------'
THe Spur is the last of the three Polar Star upgrades, and is my personal
favorite. Since this is basically a modification of the Polar Star, its level 1
fire is pretty much the same as the level 3 Polar Star shot (just a tad
faster). However, the Spur is unique in that it doesn't gain weapon exp. from
energy crystals. Instead, you must hold down the Fire button to charge its exp.
bar, which will rise to level 2, 3, and finally MAX. At level 2, it fires a
single, long-range laser; at level 3, twin lasers; and at MAX capacity, a
monstrous beam that can deal up to 100 damage! So, although the weapon takes a
long time to charge, its tremendous damage output will simply tear through
anything you encounter in late-game.
In the Hidden Last Cave and Sacred Ground, the Spur also has an additional
benefit. At the start of both these areas, all your weapons are reset to
level 1. Normally this means that you have to find energy crystals to slowly
refill them back to level 3, but not so with Spur. Its charging mechanic is
completely unaffected by the reset, ensuring that it retains its power through
these levels.
Note: Once you obtain the Spur, you can go back to Chaba in the Labyrinth Shop
and obtain a Whimsical Star. The Whimsical Star surrounds you with little
green stars that can damage enemies. You gains stars when you charge the
Spur, and lose stars when you take damage. It's a nifty little trinket,
but its damage output is so pathetic that it might as well be for looks.
.-------.
{ Nemesis }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: Lightning of the Goddess. For advanced players.
Location: Little House, Outer Wall
Ammo: Infinite
.---------------------------------------.
| damage | range | speed | rate | exp |
.---------|--------|--------|--------|------|-----|
| level 1 | 12 | long | fast | 2 | 1 |
|---------|--------|--------|--------|------|-----|
| level 2 | 6 | medium | fast | 3 | 1 |
|---------|--------|--------|--------|------|-----|
| level 3 | 1 | short | medium | ~ | 0 |
'-------------------------------------------------'
This is the last weapon that you are able to obtain. Like its in-game
description says, the Nemesis should only be used by advanced players, mainly
because of its unique characteristic: it actually gets weaker as it levels up.
At level 1, the Nemesis can plow through enemies like nothing. It has great
range, great damage output, and commendable rate of fire. At level 2, however,
the shots actually get weaker, and the range is reduced as well. At level 3, it
shoots out yellow rubber ducks, which deal 1 damage per shot with less range
than the level 1 Bubbler. The Nemesis also levels up with just 1 experience
point, meaning any crystals you collect will automatically boost you to the
next level. The trick to the Nemesis is to purposely damage yourself to level
the weapon down once it inevitably levels up, which is why it is only
recommended for skilled players with a firm grasp of the game physics and
mechanics. Also, as with the Spur, the Nemesis is unaffected by the weapon
level reset in Hidden Last Cave and Sacred Ground, making it a fine choice for
these two challenges.
======================
| Items [sect202] |XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
----------------------
This is a comprehensive list of all the inventory items available in the game.
They are listed in alphabetical order.
_____________
{ Alien Medal }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: Engraved with the silhouette of an alien. It has no use.
Location: Waterway (Ironhead boss fight)
Notes: This item will automatically appear in your inventory if you
defeat Ironhead without taking any damage in the process.
______________
{ Arms Barrier }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: When you take damage, the amount of weapon energy lost will be
halved.
Location: Camp, Labyrinth W
Notes: This can be acquired before you get the Booster. Jump into the
nearby purple Critter while it is hovering. The knockback will
propel you into the tunnel.
______________
{ Arthur's Key }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: The key to Arthur's house. It was hidden near Arthur's
gravestone.
Location: Graveyard
Notes: Arthur's House is in the lower left corner of Mimiga Village.
Use this key to unlock the door.
____________
{ Beast Fang }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: none
Location: Yamashita Farm
Notes: This item is hidden in the block underneath the Life Capsule. You
need to use the level editor in order to obtain this item. It
doesn't seem to do anything.
______________
{ Booster v0.8 }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: Push the jump button again in midair to fly even higher.
Location: Labyrinth B
Notes: This version of the Booster only allows for limited upward
propulsion. You can skip the getting the Booster v0.8 by jumping
over the gap where Professor Booster fell.
______________
{ Booster v2.0 }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: Push the jump button in midair and you can move in any direction.
Location: Arthur's House, Mimiga Village
Notes: Professor Booster gives this to you if you skipped getting the
Booster v0.8. This version of the Booster is capable of
long, sustained mid-air propulsion in any direction. This item is
necessary to unlock the secret stage Sacred Ground.
__________________
{ Broken Sprinkler }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: A busted water sprinkler.
Location: Plantation
Notes: Trade this in for a (working) Sprinkler in the Rest Area.
__________________
{ Chaco's Lipstick }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: Red lipstick. It has no use.
Location: Chaco's House, Grasstown
Notes: Get Chaco to explain to you about Jellyfish Juice, then rest on
the bed. When you wake up, this item will automatically appear in
your inventory.
__________
{ Charcoal }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: Taken from a fireplace.
Location: Santa's House, Grasstown
Notes: One of the three ingredients necessary to make an Explosive.
___________________
{ Clay Figure Medal }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: Small and profoundly heavy. It has no use.
Location: Last Cave (Red Demon boss fight)
Notes: This item will appear inside a chest after you defeat Red Demon.
____________
{ Clinic Key }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: It says "Labyrinth Clinic".
Location: Camp, Labyrinth W
Notes: The physician gives this to you.
____________
{ Controller }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: Necessary to make a rocket. Pride of Itoh, the cowardly man.
Location: Storehouse, Outer Wall
Notes: You must get this from Itoh and bring it to Mrs. Sakamoto.
__________
{ Cure-All }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: Apparently this cures anything and everything...
Location: Clinic Ruins, Labyrinth W
Notes: This is needed to heal Curly in Camp.
__________________
{ Curly's Air Tank }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: You can breathe underwater with this. Curly used to use it.
Location: Core
Notes: This item enables you to travel underwater indefinitely. Curly
gives this to you after you beat the Core.
___________________
{ Curly's Underwear }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: Retrieved from behind the wall. Yellow-green panties with a cute
little insignia. They have no use.
Location: Small Room, Sand Zone Residence, Sand Zone
Notes: If you use the map system, you can see a hidden path. Follow it
to the end and press Down to obtain Curly's Underwear. Curly
doesn't seem to react to it.
___________
{ Explosive }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: An explosive for blowing up doors and such.
Location: Power Room, Grasstown
Notes: Obtaining this item requires Jellyfish Juice, Charcoal, and Gum
Base. It is needed to free Kazuma.
__________
{ Gum Base }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: A clump of gum.
Location: Gum, Grasstown
Notes: One of the three ingredients necessary to make an Explosive.
_________
{ Gum Key }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: A tag says "Gum".
Location: Grasstown
Notes: Kazuma gives this to you after you defeat Balrog and talk to
Malco the robot in the Power Room.
________
{ Hajime }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: Jenka's pet and leader of the dogs. While searching for his
brothers, he got lost and was taken in by Curly.
Location: Small Room, Sand Zone Residence, Sand Zone
Notes: One of five puppies you need to find for Jenka. You can only
carry one puppy at a time.
_________
{ ID Card }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: An ID card found in Egg No. 06.
Location: Egg No. 06, Egg Corridor
Notes: This item is necessary to deactivate the barrier at the end of
Egg Corridor.
___________
{ Iron Bond }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: Your tie to Curly Brace, the only warrior you would trust your
back to. Surely you will meet again one day...
Location: Plantation
Notes: You get this item by talking to Curly again after restoring her
memories. This item is necessary to unlock the secret stage
Sacred Ground.
_________________
{ Jellyfish Juice }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: A fluid that can quench fireplaces.
Location: Grasstown
Notes: This item can be obtained after defeating Kulala, the giant
Jelly. You can only carry one Jellyfish Juice at a time, but you
can obtain as many of them as you want. In addition to putting
out fires in fireplaces, it is also one of the three ingredients
necessary to make an Explosive. Some sort of wonder juice, I tell
ya.
________
{ Kakeru }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: Jenka's pet. Adores bones and has buried them in countless
places, most of which are by now forgotten.
Location: Sand Zone
Notes: One of five puppies you need to find for Jenka. You can only
carry one puppy at a time. This one is sitting at the middle
section of the bottom of the Sand Zone. As you approach it, it
will run away; quickly press Down as it nears you to catch it.
__________
{ Life Pot }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: This will restore your life, but only once.
Location: Jenka's House, Sand Zone
Notes: Jenka gives you this after Balrog takes the Storehouse Key. It is
possible to obtain more Life Pots from Jenka if you use up your
previous one. It is recommended that you save a Life Pot for the
secret stage Sacred Ground.
____________
{ Little Man }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: Hey! We there yet?
Location: Graveyard
Notes: You can barely see him walking along the bottom of the Graveyard,
near where the Gravekeeper is. He will only travel with you after
you speak to his wife, who is in the Little House in Outer Wall.
___________
{ Ma Pignon }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: Allegedly, it has the power to restore memories...
Location: Storage, Graveyard
Notes: This item is obtained after you beat it in a boss fight.
____________
{ Map System }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: none
Location: Mimiga Village
Notes: Press W to activate the Map System without having to go to the
items menu.
______
{ Mick }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: Jenka's pet. Loves treasure-hunting. Or treasure *chests*,
rather, and recently has taken up sleeping in them.
Location: Sand Zone
Notes: One of five puppies you need to find for Jenka. You can only
carry one puppy at a time. This one is inside a treasure chest
next to a Life Capsule, in a hidden tunnel a bit above Jenka's
House.
_____________
{ Mimiga Mask }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: A Mimiga mask that Sue's mother made. It's a bit big...
Location: Hideout, Plantation
Notes: You must trade your Booster for this item. You need this item to
talk to the Mimiga workers in Plantation. It is possible to go
through Last Cave and the final boss fights while still wearing
the mask, which will result in slightly different dialogue and
end credits.
________________
{ Mushroom Badge }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: The mushroom badge you got from the mushroom. It has no real use.
To be honest, you don't really need it...
Location: Storage, Graveyard
Notes: After answering Ma Pignon's questions and obtaining this item,
you must inspect this item in your inventory and talk to Ma
Pignon again to fight him.
______
{ Nene }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: Jenka's pet. Spends most of her time asleep, but her dreams have
been known to portend the future.
Location: Sand Zone
Notes: One of five puppies you need to find for Jenka. You can only
carry one puppy at a time. This one is found sleeping near the
Sand Zone Warehouse.
__________________
{ Nikumaru Counter }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: A fully automatic stopwatch. You can't see any buttons.
Location: Clock Room, Outer Wall
Notes: The chest containing this item will only open if you got the
Booster v2.0 and rescued Curly after the Core boss fight. During
your run through Sacred Ground, it will keep track of your time.
Your lowest run speed will be recorded on the title screen, and
if you get below a certain time you may be rewarded with a
different title screen.
___________
{ Rusty Key }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: A rusty key.
Location: Grasstown
Notes: This item opens the door to the Power Room.
_____________
{ Santa's Key }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: The key to Santa's house.
Location: Grasstown
Notes: Give this key to Santa and he will reward you with the Fireball.
_________
{ Shinobu }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: Jenka's pet. Loves dark places. Due to poor eyesight, he roams
the darkness using his wild instincts alone.
Location: Deserted House, Sand Zone
Notes: One of five puppies you need to find for Jenka. You can only
carry one puppy at a time. This one is inside the Deserted House;
use the Map System to find a route to reach him.
_______________
{ Silver Locket }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: A silver locket in the shape of a fish. From the condition it's
in, it looks like itís been treasured for years.
Location: Reservoir
Notes: You must obtain this item to make Toroko appear in the Shack.
___________
{ Sprinkler }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: It's brand new. ...Perhaps.
Location: Rest Area, Plantation
Notes: Trade in the Broken Sprinkler for this item. You must give this
to Sue's mother in the Hideout.
______________
{ Sue's Letter }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: Will you read it?
"I don't believe I ever told you much about all of us. We came
to this island from the surface on a research trip. Prof.
Booster was on our helicopter, and so was my mother, my brother,
and various assistants... The Doctor as well. He was there to
serve our medical needs, and did so... At least, until he found
the Demon Crown... That crown, once the property of the master
of this island, grants monstrous magical powers upon its
wearer... The Doctor knew this even before coming to the island,
which is why he wormed his way into our group in the first
place. Once he had the Crown in his possession, no one could
stand up to him. We had no choice except to continue our
research of the island under his orders. The doctor seeks to
rule the Earth's surface using this island as a base. I think he
plans to first attack the surface using the Mimigas as weapons.
Anyway, I was able to get away somehow, but I fear the other
researchers are already... Now, he's using the unsuspecting
Mimigas to cultivate more and more red flowers. Once he is ready
to attack, he will drive the Mimigas into a murderous frenzy
using the flowers. Using his terrible powers, he will be able to
control the raging Mimigas to do his bidding. And that means I,
too, will... If you can escape from this prison cell, look for
the hideout hidden in the plantation. If my mother is yet safe,
she'll be there coming up with a counterplan. Please help my
mother. The password is "Litgano Motscoud"."
The letter ends here...
Location: Jail No. 1, Plantation
Notes: This item will automatically appear in your inventory after you
get captured and thrown in jail. You must read it to learn the
password to the Hideout.
_____________________
{ Teleporter Room Key }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: A key fished out by a certain Mimiga.
Location: Plantation
Notes: After talking to Kenpachi, the fishing Mimiga, in the Rest Area,
follow him to the lower part of Plantation. Talk to him again,
and inspect the bucket besides him to find this item. It opens
the door to the Teleporter.
__________
{ Tow Rope }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: A tow rope for robots.
Location: Core
Notes: This item is found in the bottom-right area of the boss room. It
is needed to rescue Curly. You must obtain this item before you
black out after the Core boss fight.
_____________
{ Turbocharge }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: Increases the rate at which the Machine Gun replenishes ammo.
Location: Labyrinth Shop, Labyrinth W
Notes: This item is obtainable only if you traded the Polar Star for
Curly's Machine Gun.
________________
{ Whimsical Star }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: A little trinket you got from Chaba in the labyrinth. A whimsical
star.
Location: Labyrinth Shop, Labyrinth W
Notes: This item is obtainable only if you managed to acquire the Spur.
===================================
| Power-up Locations [sect203] |XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
-----------------------------------
This section gives the locations of all Life Capsules and Missile Expansions.
You do not necessarily have to pick them up in the given order.
.-------------.
{ Life Capsules }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Start Health: 3
Life Capsule 01: First Cave, leftmost end
Health +3
Life Capsule 02: Mimiga Village, Yamashita Farm
Health +3
Life Capsule 03: Egg Corridor, leftmost end
Health +3
Life Capsule 04: Egg Corridor, above Cthulhu's Abode
Health +4
Life Capsule 05: Grasstown, near where the Giant Jelly (Kulala) lurks
Health +5
Life Capsule 06: Grasstown, Execution Chamber
Health +5
Life Capsule 07: Sand Zone, top corridor, on top of the leftmost block column
Health +5
Life Capsule 08: Sand Zone, secret path near Jenka's House (next to a puppy)
Health +5
Life Capsule 09: Labyrinth I, mid-way up, guarded by 3 critters
Health +5
Life Capsule 10: Plantation, top left corner
Health +4
Life Capsule 11: Plantation, talk to puppy below the killer robot shaft
Health +5
Life Capsule 12: Sacred Ground B1, on a ledge below the lower shaft
Health +5
.----------------.
| Max Health: 55 |
'----------------'
.------------------.
{ Missile Expansions }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Start Missiles: 10
Missile Expansion 01: Grasstown, above Shelter and next to Grasstown Hut
Missiles +5
Missile Expansion 02: Grasstown Hut, inner Grasstown
Missiles +5
Missile Expansion 03: Egg Corridor?, where Egg No. 12 originally was
Missiles +5
Missile Expansion 04: Egg Observation Room?, Egg Corridor?
Missiles +5
Missile Expansion 05: Sacred Ground B3, chamber right before Heavy Press
Missiles +24
.------------------.
| Max Missiles: 54 |
'------------------'
=========================
| Bestiary [sect204] |XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
-------------------------
This is a comprehensive list of all the monsters you can find in Cave Story,
excluding bosses. Each entry contains the name, a physical description,
location, and strategies on how to kill it.
Note: The descriptions are not found in the game; they are my own.
_________
{ Critter }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: A small, cutesy-looking blob with eyes and a nose.
Location: Everywhere
Strategy: The generic enemy in Cave Story. Critters come in a variety of
colors, and can have different abilities. The weakest Critters
just hop at you, trying to damage you. Critters from Grasstown
have the ability to fly short distances, and those from Labyrinth
hover in the air while shooting projectiles at you. They're all
extremely weak, so a couple of shots from the Polar Star are able
to take them down.
_____
{ Bat }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: A bat-like bat.
Location: Everywhere (it's called *Cave* Story, no surprises there)
Strategy: Like Critters, they're very weak. Some bats hover in the air and
dive down at you, while those suspended on the ceiling dive down
and follow you. Again, other variations exist.
__________
{ The Door }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: A seemingly harmless door, until you notice it's got an eye.
Location: First Cave
Strategy: As awesome as The Door is, you'll only get to defeat one in the
entire game. He is stationary and doesn't directly attack you,
but if you don't realize it's a monster at first you'll run into
it too much and die. Incidentally, my first death in Cave Story
was from The Door. He is a tricky bastard.
__________
{ Behemoth }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: A blue elephant.
Location: Egg Corridor
Strategy: Mostly harmless. It just walks around waiting for you to shoot
it. It will occasionally get angry and charge at you, but you
should be able to kill it way before it reaches you.
________
{ Pignon }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: A walking mushroom.
Location: Graveyard
Strategy: Shoot it.
______________
{ Giant Pignon }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: A giant walking mushroom.
Location: Graveyard
Strategy: Shoot it more.
__________
{ Chinfish }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: An orange fish with an abnormally large...chin.
Location: Reservoir
Strategy: His main method of attack is to take advantage of your curiosity
and wait for you to jump into him to test if he's an actual enemy
or not. Sadly, it fails after the first time.
_____________
{ Gravekeeper }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: A creepy dude with a knife.
Location: Graveyard
Strategy: His knife will block your attacks, so wait for him to raise his
knife (or jump behind him) to damage him. Or you can just jump
over him, since he's quite slow.
_______
{ Basil }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: A white, spiked shockwave with eyes.
Location: Egg Corridor
Strategy: Basil races along the bottom of Egg Corridor, waiting for you to
make a fatal mistake. One touch is instant death. Did I mention
he's also invincible? Just time your jumps properly and you won't
become roasted.
________
{ Beetle }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: An airborne insect who wears a smile 24/7.
Location: Egg Corridor, Sand Zone, Egg Corridor?
Strategy: They're pretty fast, but also very weak. Some follow
predetermined flight paths, while others follow you. A single
shot should take them down.
______
{ Basu }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: A larger, more scary-looking Beetle.
Location: Egg Corridor, Egg Corridor?
Strategy: Basu will occasionally flash and shoot a green projectile at you.
It's tricky to avoid sometimes, so make sure to take him out
before he has a chance to strike. In Egg Corridor?, Basu can
shoot two projectiles at once.
_______________
{ Power Critter }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: An oversized Critter.
Location: Grasstown
Strategy: These dudes are pretty annoying. When they see you, they take to
the air and attempt to land on you. Don't let that happen,
because they do a considerable amount of damage. They're also
tough to take out, but a good strategy is to stay underneath them
and shoot upwards. They should die before they land on you.
________
{ Mannan }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: A white tombstone-shaped ghost with red eyes.
Location: Grasstown
Strategy: Mannans are stationary and won't do anything unless provoked. If
you shoot them, they fire a red shockwave in the direction
they're facing. When facing these things, make sure you have some
way to avoid their shockwaves. Then again, you can always jump
behind them, where you can kill them without risk.
_______
{ Puchi }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: A tiny frog.
Location: Grasstown (Balfrog fight)
Strategy: Annoyances at best. Just shoot them once and they'll die.
______
{ Frog }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: A large Puchi.
Location: Grasstown
Strategy: Just a tougher version of Puchis. The Fireball works great on
both of them.
_______
{ Jelly }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: A floating jellyfish.
Location: Grasstown, Waterway
Strategy: Although they pose little threat in general, sometimes they
appear in swarms. They're extremely weak, and very easy to kill.
________
{ Kulala }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: A giant, Metroid-esque jellyfish.
Location: Grasstown
Strategy: First of all, eliminate all the enemies in the vicinity, then
shoot it to provoke it into chasing after you. It's quite slow,
so just stand a good distance from it and shoot at it.
Note: Once you kill it, it drops a chest containing Jellyfish Juice.
_______
{ Rabil }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: An enraged Mimiga villager who ate Red Flowers.
Location: Grasstown, Balcony
Strategy: Rabils may be a bit hard to take down, especially in a cramped
area like the Grasstown Hut. They always hop twice before
lunging at you, so predict the attack and dodge it. They're
pretty durable as well, but they can be taken down with
continuous fire. Missiles also work quite well.
_______
{ Press }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: A gray rectangular block with an eye in the middle. While its eye
is closed, it's a bit difficult to distinguish it from star
blocks, so watch out.
Location: Grasstown, Sand Zone, Last Cave, Sacred Ground
Strategy: Presses are extremely dangerous. If you happen to walk underneath
them, they'll activate and attempt to crush you. If they succeed,
you'll die instantly, so get the hell out of the way. Once
they've landed, they're harmless, and can be destroyed.
__________
{ Sandcroc }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: A crocodile who conceals itself in sand pits.
Location: Sand Zone, Outer Wall
Strategy: Sandcrocs bury themselves in the sand, and when you walk over
their domain, they rise out of the sand to take a snap at you.
These things attack extremely fast, and do quite a bit of damage,
so the best strategy would be to just avoid them altogether. In
the Sand Zone, you can tell whether or not a Sandcroc is hiding
from human remains scattered on the sand. If you do fall into a
pit, immediately jump as soon as you land. If you're fast enough,
you can avoid being bitten. Another viable way to avoid them is
to just keep running once you touch the ground, and the Sandcroc
will just miss you. Once the Sandcroc emerges, it stays
stationary above the sand until you shoot it, which will make it
hide again.
___________
{ Skullhead }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: The skull of a dinosaur-like creature.
Location: Sand Zone
Strategy: Skullheads hop along the ground in a predictable manner, so they
shouldn't be very hard to deal with. They also drop a lot of
power-ups, so that's a plus.
Note: Sometimes you'll find Skullheads suspended in the air by Crows,
where they'll spit bones at you. This combination is much more
dangerous than either alone, so quickly take out one of the pair.
___________
{ Skullstep }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: A Skullhead with short feet.
Location: Sand Zone
Strategy: Their pattern is the same as Skullheads', but they're much
faster than their counterparts. Deal with them the same way.
__________
{ Skeleton }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: A skeleton of some lizard-like alien thing.
Location: Sand Zone
Strategy: Skeletons slowly shamble back and forth while firing bones at
you. They retreat if you hit them continuously, so just watch out
for the projectiles and force them into a corner.
______
{ Crow }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: A parrot on steroids. Seriously.
Location: Sand Zone
Strategy: They won't attack you unless you provoke them. They're extremely
fast, but they get stunned every time you hit them. One or two
are easy enough to handle, but make sure you don't provoke a full
swarm attack. Bad things happen that way.
Note: Sometimes you'll find Crows suspending Skullheads in the air. The
Crow itself remains relatively stationary, but watch out for the
Skullheads' projectiles. When you destroy either one of the pair,
the other will become a regular enemy.
___________
{ Armadillo }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: A green lizard-tortoise thing with a spikey shell.
Location: Sand Zone
Strategy: They're slow and travel in a linear path along the ground, so
they're very easy to defeat. They are immune from missiles, but
it's not like you actually need them anyways.
________
{ Polish }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: A disk-shaped frowning face with blades protruding around it.
Location: Sand Zone
Strategy: They're pretty slow, and travel along the perimeter of the room.
They take a few hits to destroy, and drop a lot of power-ups.
However, once they die they release a bunch of Babies, so don't
let your guard down.
______
{ Baby }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: A mini-Polish.
Location: Sand Zone
Strategy: Babies spawn whenever you kill a Polish. They're weak and travel
in straight paths, so they're not so tough.
___________
{ Flowercub }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: A yellow flower.
Location: Sand Zone (Toroko fight)
Strategy: Wherever one of Toroko's projectile blocks land, a Flowercub
appears. They are extremely slow and deal a minimal amount of
damage, and are destroyed in one hit. Trivial.
_______
{ Gaudi }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: A bipedal cockroach.
Location: Labyrinth
Strategy: Gaudis make their home inside the tunnels of the Labyrinth. The
regular Gaudis walk along the ground and bump into you, and are
easily taken down. Be careful of the flying ones, though, as they
fire projectiles at you.
Note: The Gaudis inside the Labyrinth Shop won't hurt you. You can even
converse with them.
_______
{ Armor }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: A Gaudi with a blue color scheme.
Location: Labyrinth
Strategy: These metallic Gaudis are a tough bunch. Once they see you, they
hop three times, and at the end of the third jump they throw 3
spinning blades at you. Not only are the blades fast, they bounce
off of walls, so be very careful. To make matters worse, some of
them are stationed in hard-to-reach places. Fortunately, Curly
will be by your side when you encounter them, so it's safest to
just let Curly defeat them for you.
___________
{ Gaudi Egg }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: An egg.
Location: Labyrinth
Strategy: Not really an enemy, but the game mentions it in the credits, so
whatever. You can break them open for some power-ups...wait a
minute, power-ups come from Gaudi fetuses? Urghhh...
_____________
{ Fire Whirrr }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: A propeller creature with an eye in the middle.
Location: Labyrinth
Strategy: Ridiculously easy this far into the game. They hover up and down,
and occasionally spew slow-moving circular projectiles. The
projectiles don't even follow you.
_______________
{ BuyoBuyo Base }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: Take those Barnacles from Half-Life and run them over with a
steamroller. Yeah, that's what this is looks like. Sort of.
Location: Labyrinth
Strategy: BuyoBuyo Bases don't attack you on their own. Instead, they spit
out BuyoBuyos to attack you with. Destroy the Bases to stop the
stream of BuyoBuyos.
__________
{ BuyoBuyo }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: A cell-like blob.
Location: Labyrinth
Strategy: These little blobs spawn from BuyoBuyo Bases. They float towards
you and try to knock into you. One hit will destroy them, so just
keep shooting them down while Curly takes care of the Bases.
______
{ Fuzz }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: A small round pink cotton ball.
Location: Labyrinth
Strategy: Fuzzes are found rotating around a Fuzz Core. Like BuyoBuyos,
they're extremely easy to destroy. Make sure to take out all the
Fuzz before killing the Fuzz Core, since it will prompt the
Core-less Fuzzes to attack you. They're extremely fast, so don't
get caught off-guard.
___________
{ Fuzz Core }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: A large round pink cotton ball.
Location: Labyrinth
Strategy: It poses no harm, but as mentioned above, be sure to destroy the
Fuzzes surrounding it first.
________________
{ Porcupine Fish }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: A pufferfish.
Location: Waterway (Ironhead fight)
Strategy: When you're battling Ironhead, schools of these fish will swim by
you. At first, they're harmless, but then they puff up and become
round shaped, and will damage you. It's easy to kill one fish,
but a whole group of them may give you trouble. The level 3 Blade
is best for this, because of its large AoE.
_______________
{ Dragon Zombie }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: Apparently Sky Dragon babies turn into zombies if not properly
hatched.
Location: Egg Corridor?
Strategy: Make sure to avoid the flames that they spew, because they do a
lot of damage. Fortunately, the flames can be destroyed. Since
they're stationary, it's easy to bombard them and then flee to a
safe spot to avoid the flame attacks. A fully-charged Spur can
kill them in one hit.
______________
{ Counter Bomb }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: A yellow-green cloud with eyes.
Location: Egg Corridor?
Strategy: When provoked, the Counter Bomb will "activate" and will start a
countdown. Once the count reaches 0, it detonates, damaging the
surrounding area. The blast radius is huge, so make sure it's
off-screen when it explodes. If you manage to kill it before the
timer ends, it will die without exploding.
______________
{ Night Spirit }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: A bedcloth ghost with a cat's head.
Location: Outer Wall
Strategy: Night Spirits float up and down the Outer Wall, and when they
reach you they will spew a bunch of white, balloon-shaped
projectiles at you. The missiles can't be destroyed, so if you
happen to get caught in the hail of fire, find some cover and
hide. It's best to kill them before they unleash this attack, but
they have a lot of health. A fully-charged Spur OHKOs them.
_______
{ Hoppy }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: A small yellow...thing. That hops.
Location: Outer Wall
Strategy: Hoppies stick to the side of Outer Wall, and jump sideways
towards you. They come in swarms and are hard to hit, so keep
your distance. Despite their size, they don't die in one hit.
_________
{ Midorin }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: A pea with legs.
Location: Plantation
Strategy: Oh man, these things are hilarious. Basically they run in an
erratic pattern over a fixed area. You can actually hitch a ride
on top of these things, but it's not recommended. They also take
a surprising amount of hits to die, but they shouldn't be a
problem.
_______
{ Droll }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: A tan humanoid creature wearing a green robe.
Location: Plantation
Strategy: You don't bother me, I don't bother you. That's the way to deal
with Drolls. You can easily just jump over them and ignore them
completely. If you do feel the need to shoot them, they'll react
by jumping in the air and throwing a spinning projectile at you.
It's a fast attack, so be prepared to dodge it.
_________
{ Gunfish }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: A blue and white fish.
Location: Plantation
Strategy: When Gunfish see you, they shoot a stream of bubbles at you. The
trajectory is fixed, so you can find a safe spot and wait until
the attack finishes. When they are not shooting bubbles, they can
be used as platforms to cross the water. They're helpless if you
attack them from below.
_____________
{ Orange Bell }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: A large obese black(?!) bat.
Location: Plantation
Strategy: A mother bat of sorts, it is always surrounded by a group of
regular bats. It poses no threat at all, so just watch out for
its children.
________
{ Stumpy }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: A flying green mosquito-like bug.
Location: Plantation
Strategy: Stumpies fly towards you in short distances. They're fast, but
easy to kill. Watch out for swarm attacks.
______
{ Bute }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: A small Cupid-like angel.
Location: Sacred Ground
Strategy: Along with Mesa, these are the guardians of Sacred Grounds. They
come in a variety of types: The most common ones have wings and
fly towards you. They're fast and come in droves, so they're
extremely annoying to deal with. Fortunately, they die from one
hit from just about any weapon. Another type of Bute is the
swordsman, who stands on the ground and attack you with a sword.
They're invincible when standing still, so go next to them to get
them to rush towards you. The third Bute is the archer, who sits
in one place and shoots arrows at you in regular intervals. As
long as you avoid the arrows, you can kill these ones easily.
______
{ Mesa }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: A large angel, with a body structure similar to a Droll's.
Location: Sacred Ground
Strategy: Mesas stand in one place and hurl blocks at you. The trajectory
of the blocks is fixed, so you can just find a safe spot and
kill the Mesa from there. They take a load of damage to kill, and
some of your shots will be blocked by the hurled blocks. Make
sure you don't get hit by the blocks, because they do quite a lot
of damage.
_____________
{ Green Devil }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: Tiny, smiling, green bat-like creatures.
Location: Seal Chamber (Ballos fight)
Strategy: These creatures swarm the upper portion of the room after you
defeat Ballos's first form, and disappear after the third form.
They are harmless, and can be killed for lots of power-ups. Use
them to your advantage.
_________
{ Rolling }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: A small, red and gray orb.
Location: Sacred Ground
Strategy: Rollings circle around the perimeter of a particular room. They
are indestructible, so the only thing you can do is to jump over
them when they pass. Not too difficult to avoid on their own, but
with multiple enemies onscreen you might accidentally forget
about them.
________
{ Deleet }~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Description: An octagonal disk with a red eye in the middle.
Location: Sacred Ground
Strategy: Deleets' primary purpose is to obstruct your path and slow you
down. They block your path until you damage them enough as to
activate a timer, similar to the Counter Bomb. When the timer
reaches 0, they self-destruct, damaging those in the surrounding
area. The explosion radius is pretty small, so just make sure not
to stand next to them when they blow. A level 3 Spur activates
them with one shot.
Note: Using the Snake, you can shoot through the floors to activate
Deleets prematurely. Check the Sacred Ground section of the
main walkthrough for details.
===============================================================================
| MISCELLANEOUS STUFF [sect300] |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And finally, here are things that no one cares about (which is why they are at
the very end), but are necessary to every FAQ or guide... have fun.
==========================================
| Frequently Asked Questions [sect301] |XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
------------------------------------------
This is where I will be answering some common questions that I receive or hear
about. I shouldn't have to tell you this, but if you have a question that's not
in here, it's probably already answered in the walkthrough. If not, contact me.
O------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: How do I get Cave Story?
A: Cave Story is a PC game that's free to download. Check the "Getting
Started" section for more information.
O------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: How do I get to Sacred Ground and the best ending?
A: In order to gain access to this secret level, there are a few things you
must do:
1) Skip the Booster v0.8; you'll receive the Booster v2.0 later on in
the game.
2) Make sure you get the Tow Rope in the Core, so you can take Curly
along with you.
3) In the Waterway, enter the Waterway Cabin and drain the water from
Curly, then pick her up again and go through the remaining portion
of Waterway.
4) The next time you see Curly, she should be in lower-right part of
Plantation, with her memories gone. Go to the Graveyard in Mimiga
Village and acquire the Ma Pignon in a boss fight. Go back to Curly
and feed her the mushroom, and she will regain her memories. Make
sure you get the Iron Bond from her.
With these requirements fulfilled, the door to the Prefab House will be
open during your final escape, which will lead to Sacred Grounds.
O------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: I'm trying to find the Tow Rope in the Core room, but nothing's showing up
for me. What's going on?
A: The Tow Rope only shows up if you did NOT acquire the Booster v0.8 from
Prof. Booster. This of course means that you cannot rescue Curly.
O------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: I talked to Ma Pignon, but when I said "Yes" to his first question, he
responded with "Ha ha, I doubt it." What am I doing wrong?
A: First of all, in order to fight Ma Pignon you must save Curly in the
Waterway. If you did, then the next time you see her she should be busy
having amnesia at the bottom right corner of Plantation. Talk to her, then
talk to the Cthulhu native standing right next to her bed, who will mention
"a mushroom that can cure amnesia". Only then will you be able to fight
Ma Pignon.
O------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: I found the Little Man in the Graveyard but can't get him to come with me?
A: You must enter the Little House at the bottom of Outer Wall and speak to
his wife first.
O------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: Which Polar Star upgrade should I get?
A: It really depends on your preference. You can find the pros and cons of
each weapon in the Weapons section. If you want to try out all the weapons,
I suggest you save a copy of your profile just after you beat Curly to test
out the Machine Gun, and make another copy at the Labyrinth Shop to test
out the Snake. If you want my personal opinion though, I say go with the
Spur.
O------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: Is it possible to have multiple save files?
A: The game itself only limits you to one save file, but there are a couple of
ways to store multiple saves. The easiest method is to just copy the entire
Cave Story program folder and create distinct shortcuts for each. Cave
Story is only around 5MB, so you won't be wasting a whole lot of space.
Another, more complicated method (but requiring only one copy of the game)
is to go to the Cave Story program folder and find the file named
"profile.dat". This is basically your save file, so you can create a new
folder and back up the file into that folder. Make sure you rename it so
you can tell what file it is (e.g. "Last Battle with Spur"). You're then
free to start up a new game without compromising your previous data. When
you want to load a data file, get rid of the current save file and paste
the desired file instead, making sure to rename it "profile.dat".
O------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: What's your hell speedrun time?
A: 3'36"8. Don't bother me about it.
O------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: I think this method is a lot more effective than the one you listed.
A: Great, send it to me. If it works, I'll add it to my guide and give you
proper credit for it.
=======================
| Credits [sect302] |XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
-----------------------
Pixel
Creator of Cave Story. Enough said.
Cave Story Tribute Site (now at http://cavestory.org/)
This wonderful site is probably the largest English Cave Story community on
the web. In addition to download links for the actual game, they have a
multitude of guides, saves, and fanwork of Cave Story. Much of the info in my
Weapons, Items, and Bestiary sections were obtained here.
CjayC
For making Gamefaqs an awesome site for both new and veteran gamers alike.
jc_rcw
The guy who first got me into Cave Story. So in a sense, the person
responsible for the existence of this walkthrough.
Niek Dijkstra
Pointed out an error I made with the statues in Sacred Ground.
Lyger
Provided me with the proper exp. values for the weapons.
jcys810
Corrected some spelling mistakes I had made, plus an inaccuracy with the
attack pattern of the 1st Balrog fight.
Keith Brunkala
Reminded me that Misery shot those fish missiles as well during the final
battle.
Jp
Found a massive amount of spelling and grammatical mistakes I made in my
guide. Thanks a lot!
Corbele
Informed me about the respawning hearts trick in Sacred Ground B3.
Danneh
Verified the rumor about the 100-ammo Missile Launcher you can get in Sacred
Ground B3.
Rory O'Kane
Deuxhero
Haim, aka Wizzy
All of you submitted your own unique ways to clear the Press gauntlet of
Presses in Last Cave. However, there's really no need for this many
strategies for such a short section. Thanks for your contribution, anyways!
Marianne
Informed me that it's actually possible to drown in the Core fight, if you're
really unlucky.
Moddex Everest
Found an additional way to avoid getting bit by Sandcrocs.
NeatNit
Clarified some details about the Red Demon fight, and noted that the
respawning hearts trick in Sacred Ground B3 can also be applied to the Butes.
Corey Gross
Submitted an alternative way to defeat Omega using the Machine Gun.
Charlie
Emphasized that the bats that Misery and the Doctor spawn can be exploited to
stock up on power-ups.
obesebear
Submitted an alternative way to defeat Pooh Black.
And lastly, the readers (you)
While Cave Story is a masterpiece in its own right, it's overshadowed by
advanced, realistic 3-D games that now dominate the industry. After finishing
Cave Story, I hope that you've had a unique and refreshing experience, and in
the future will support this game by recommending it to your friends and
colleagues. Thanks for reading!
==============================
| Copyright Info [sect303] |XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
------------------------------
Copyright 2009 Tim Zhu (neon screen)
This FAQ may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal
or private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed
publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other
web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a
violation of copyright.
Sites that have permission to display this FAQ:
http://cavestory.org/
http://www.gamefaqs.com/
============================
| Contact Info [sect304] |XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
----------------------------
All emails related to Cave Story are welcome. However, I am looking for these
types in particular:
-Any corrections or errors
-Suggestions about alternative strategies
-Anything that I had missed and should be added
I make no guarantee that I'll reply to your email, but if I do, it will usually
be within 1-2 days.
With that said, please contact me at:
neon.barnacle@gmail.com
You can also find me at the Gamefaqs Cave Story message boards.
Happy spelunking!
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~Fin